Chronicles of Absolution: Sandman
by Kirabaros
Summary: 5.10. Strange things are happening. People's dreams are becoming reality and it's not all warm and fuzzy as Sam, Dean and Angie go up against a creature that seems most unlikely to be the cause.
1. Chapter 1

**Chronicles of Absolution: Sandman**

 **Chapter 1**

 _Then_

… _She had been on the hunt for two days after having caught wind of mysterious deaths. She had been assigned to this town and she would see it through. She watched and waited. That was the hard part… and the boring for some: the waiting. Yet the good hunters know that the patience in waiting always paid off. Maybe not the way you wanted it but it did pay off._

 _She waited until something caught her eye. Looking harder, she spotted her prey. With a grim smile, she stood up and looked down from her perch. Then with a swift movement, she leapt off the building and plummeted down to the ground where she landed with a graceful bow. Slowly she stood up and looked at her prey…_

… _Suddenly she was hit from behind. She fell forward and she lost her grip on her blade. She watched as it slid away through the puddles of water. The creatures couldn't touch it so that wasn't a worry. Suddenly she felt what seemed to be a pipe come down on her back. She grunted in pain as it hit hard. She had little recovery time for the others grabbed for her. They held her up and the creature she had stalked came up to her. With a single finger, the creature ran it down the side of her neck._

 _The hunter bucked in response. She hated it when they did that. She hated the feelings that came with it… and the memories. She growled in anger and tried to bite the offending finger. The result was a hard backhand across the face. She glared at the creature, her normal tawny eyes glowed, becoming bright orbs in the night. The creature merely laughed as he brought up a blade. The hunter recognized the glint of the metal. She struggled to free herself. Suddenly the blade came at her, towards where her heart was…_

… Suddenly Sam saw flying black coat and was nearly pushed out of the way. He saw a flash of silver and right where he had been standing was another vampire with something sticking out of its chest. The vampire writhed on the ground as if burning from the blade until it was still. The trench coat walked over and pulled it out to reveal a knife of some sort. The trench coat turned to show its face to Sam.

Sam was stunned. It was her! His other dreams he was not in it. It was like a distorted lens but here now he was physically in front of her. He called out again, "Hey, are you real?"

The woman looked at him with a stern glance but something trickled in her eyes. Suddenly the rain stopped to give Sam a better look at her. She was shorter than he was but complemented his height. Athletic build with olive toned skin with dark brown hair and peering in the darkness, he could make out the tawny eyes. She looked at him holding the strange blade before she walked over, "Yes. I had to be pulled into dream walking again. Bloody dream king."

… "This will force you out of this realm and back to your body. They should also be able to keep you out until the job is finished."

Sam watched as she drew a series of symbols on his forearm. "What are you talking about?"

"There are forces that many hunters don't know about that are old and near forgotten. The one who pulled you here is trying to kill you and your brother." The woman finished scribbling her sigils on his forearm. "Now I'm going to send you back. Once back I suggest you and your brother leave but if you stay… be careful."

… As he walked forward to look at his dead double, the eyes opened and they were the familiar inky black. The double sat up and looked blankly at Dean, "You can't escape me Dean! This is what you're gonna become." He then snapped his fingers.

The scene shifted and the car was being packed. Dean lied deliberately to Sam about what he saw. "Nothing. I was looking for you the whole time. "I've been doing some thinking and the thing is… I don't wanna die. I don't wanna go to hell."

Sam agreed, "Yeah. We'll find a way to save you. I know Angie's been working on that."

The scene shifted again. Sam was in an empty warehouse. She was there too and it was like watching the scene in slow motion as the cold Sam stabbed Bobby. She couldn't say anything though she tried. He was shocked that he actually killed Bobby and that he did it right in front of her. He looked at her like he couldn't believe what he had done…

… Angela started pacing as she glanced at the scene. Sam looked so lost and then that last bit about tearing down her shield… "When did you become a shrink?"

Morpheus bristled slightly but he could understand the snarky attitude. It was a defense mechanism. "You know that in my domain I can see your thoughts and feelings. They can't hide here."

Angela crossed her arms and stared off into the void. Of course she knew that. "I know that," she replied softly. "I hate the fact that I could see what Dean saw and he couldn't see me. How or why I am not sure and I don't think I care to know…"

… _She had been asleep but not asleep. She dreamed. She saw the town, peaceful and normal but there was a dark shadow that lingered over it. The people were acting normally but the shadow was over them like a cloud. She saw the eagle flying but it was lost in the darkness. It was flying in circles as if it was searching for a way out, but it couldn't. When it found its way to the edge, something stopped it; like it was tethered or something…_

… _The warrior brothers were sitting side by side in the car and they were driving off to some destination. The only that stretched before them was a two lane highway. The brothers were laughing and joking with each other. The younger one would occasional look towards the back at her. Natalia though knew that he wasn't looking at her. So she looked around the backseat._

 _Sitting next to her was the eagle. The eagle was looking pretty comfortable as it playfully pecked at the younger brother's hair and occasionally the older brother as well. This continued as the car traveled down the highway…_

… _She stood in the middle of the flames looking up. She didn't even feel the heat as the flames licked at her coat. The lips kept moving and finally a voice came out, "Why? Why did you leave me?"_

 _She backed away until she saw him. His yellow eyes never failed to incite anger. She started forward when all of a sudden, Mary, dead and pale was standing next to him. Her eyes were narrowed with hatred. "You did this to me! You were supposed to protect me!"_

 _Yellow Eyes smiled and said, "You can't save them all no matter what you try."_

… She, from all appearances, looked innocent but when the human male brought her in, there was a look that could only be described as single-minded focus. From a quick inspection of the eyes, Morpheus could tell that he was far under the being's control. She possessed strength but it could easily crumble and that was what he was doing to her and he was powerless to stop it.

He had been minding his own business in his realm, influencing the images that mortals conjured in their minds and allowed them to play them out. The Greeks called him the god of dreams. Some called him the Dream King while his sister was the Queen. He was often said to be the one that created nightmares and the like while his sister or wife created the dreams. It was true that he did have some fun with the nightmares since some of the things that mortals had fears of were about as funny as the idea of a man eating rabbit. So it was partially true but then what god didn't have fun?

 _The Lady would never at the expense of a mortal._

Morpheus resisted making movements to indicate he heard something. It was his sister reminding him again. He could only hope that whatever plan she had in mind would work. The binding spell was a powerful one and Morpheus concluded that one of the higher ups in the demon hierarchy had brought it out and given it to this being. He had been lured in by a prospective dreamer and ensnared and now his power was used to greatly advance the effects of the mug wort concoction that they came up with…

… "Tell me about it. Damn that god is good." Austin rubbed his forehead.

"Morpheus?"

"I've heard stories about his strength and I'm betting your demon does too. He hit us hard by playing on our worse fears and things we normally would keep hidden." Austin then looked at Sam with a frown. Something didn't make sense. "I'm surprised you weren't affected."

… Morpheus, the god of dreams, looked at Angela with a bemused smile. He had always liked that she was straight to the point and never wasted a moment on something like panicking. If she ever did do that, she did it when he wasn't around. She was always the one that was focused. He teased her slightly, "Well… you know how I can exist."

"I am me. If there is one thing that little bratty child of an angel can't do is kill or imitate me. No one but the god of dreams knows the power he wields."

… "It's feedback," Morpheus replied. He could don the mysterious cloak thing but he felt it was better to do the straightforward thing. It was out of respect for her and she appreciated it more than most beings knew.

"Feedback?" Angela frowned at that. She was familiar with the concept but she was failing to grasp how it applied to her. "There aren't any bonds that could do that. Cas is topside and Gabe is gone. Kess is doing… whatever he is doing. So…?"

… "And you have me convinced. So… what gives for this visit?"

Morpheus looked at Angela with a look of curiosity as he replied, "Well… you."

"Me?" Angela raised her brow at that. "Why? And a better question is how is it that you are able to reach me here in hell? The lines are pretty…"

"Even the damned must sleep," Morpheus offered…

 _Now_

It was a quiet night, a normal night. He was going about his job with his usual cheerfulness. There were people that needed to be eased to sleep and find their dreams. It was a job that he and others like him did with good cheer since they knew that sentient beings dreamed in order to resolve issues that they may have come across during the day, find a place to unwind, or seek sanctuary from reality. Whatever the case, he and his kind were the ones that lulled people to sleep in order for them to pass into the realm that belonged to the god of dreams.

He just finished lulling little Henry to sleep, knowing that he would be probably dreaming he was a cowboy or some equally exciting adventure that could only be accomplished in the land of dreams. He lingered, smiling at the boy who was starting to smile in his sleep. Time to move onto the next household and the next set of children.

He chose to work with the children because they were young and innocent. Their dreams were mostly innocent. Even if they had bad dreams or nightmares, they were fairly innocent and the god of dreams did what he could to make sure they weren't that affected by them. It wasn't a perfect system, but it worked pretty well and the rules about dreams were clear.

He left the house to head to where his ride was waiting. Suzy was the most reliable mount that he had and it certainly lent to the stories told about his kind. It was the kind of thing that humans would never believe existed. A world that was sort of kept hidden. The sort of was because there were those that had their eyes opened to that world. And the stories that were told…

Suzy was waiting around the corner. She was probably waiting for the carrot snack he picked up from the kitchen. They would never miss it. Most humans didn't. He put his hand in his pocket to finger the carrot grinning. There was a benefit to being tiny. He could make normal things be small as he needed. Since he had room, he actually had two carrots in his pocket. He grinned as he rounded the corner. What he saw had him stop dead in his tracks.

Suzy was braying in fear but she wasn't moving. She couldn't move since there was an arm around her neck and it wasn't a friendly embrace. She had been made full size and her feet were prancing in agitation but she didn't move from her spot. He grew to full size to confront the person that was holding onto his Suzy. When he got a good look, he stopped and felt a chill down his spine.

"I knew I would be able to find you," the woman holding onto Suzy's neck said with a smile. "At least one being is pretty easy to find."

He didn't know what to do. He saw the woman tighten her arm around Suzy's neck. He held his hands out, "Please. Don't hurt Suzy."

"I'm not going to do that. I know what it's like to love a creature so much."

"Then why…"

"I needed leverage."

He swallowed slightly. The woman knew how much Suzy meant to him. Others like him were partial to their mounts. They were like pair bonds of other beings, paired for life and it was a tragic loss if something happened to one or the other, or both. He stammered, "I'll do what you want. Just don't hurt Suzy."

"I won't hurt her," the woman said with a smile. "I am a mother. I understand."

"I know you are," he said after swallowing. He felt a little braver and added, "I know who you are."

The woman smiled as she released Suzy and took a couple of steps forward. She looked at him with a knowing smile. "I am surprised that you think you know what you know."

"It isn't hard to recognize the one who created the monsters. Eve, Mother of All."

It was a bold statement declaring his knowledge. In this situation though, it was better to not pull punches. There was a reason that she was here and he wasn't liking it. He didn't want to have anything to do with hurting people. That was not him or his kind, and yet he sensed that there was more to this than a simple riling him up thing.

Eve looked at her quarry with a smile. She cocked her head as she studied him. It had been a long time since she saw one when they first came into existence. They weren't even hers really. They were someone else's and history showed a few things that humans ended up forgetting. Well, she didn't forget. "It's good that you know me," she said. "Do the others remember me?"

"I can't speak for them."

"Yes you can. You are the daddy of your kind." Eve walked forward with a slight frown on her face like something was puzzling her. "And yet you choose to work with children. It is… rather endearing to me." She smiled as she lifted a hand and placed it on his shoulder. She ran it along his clothing, assessing him. "I care about my children and you care about children even if they are not your own."

He trembled a little at her touch. He held himself steady as he looked at her. Suzy was clear of her clutches. That was a relief. She could get away if she needed to and he would be happy. He looked at Eve. "Please, what are you doing here? You were locked away in that place for eternity."

Eve smiled, "I have been set free by some enterprising children of mine." She pulled back and looked at her quarry. "And they told me some very interesting news. Tell me… do you know about the dragon slayer that really isn't a slayer?"

He shook his head. That wasn't his thing. He didn't concern himself with things that had nothing to do with the job. It would only become a concern if it involved any of the others. "I don't know what you are talking about. I only work the gateway through the veil."

"Of course. You and the others lull these humans and my children to sleep and open the gate. You're telling me that you've never had a conversation with anyone?"

"We are not in the business of talking to our charges."

"One of them killed my children with a marking of the dragon slayers and they weren't recognized as such."

He looked at Eve as she got angry at him. It looked like she was going to get physical. He watched as she turned away in anger. There didn't seem to be anyone else around. Suzy was free and clear. They could make a run for it. He watched Eve until she turned away from him and he took the chance. He only hoped that they could get a head start.

He started to get away while changing size and said, "Suzy, let's roll."

Suzy was smart and able to take a hint. She followed his lead and they went to their travel size and started taking off. He urged Suzy to move. He could come back later and finish the job. Sleep could wait. Something was very wrong if Eve, the Mother of All, was looking for him or one of the others. Who was she talking about and why would she be interested if he talked to someone like that? It was absurd and definitely trouble to them.

Suzy made a turn and all of a sudden it was like she came to a sudden stop and flipped forward. He was flung forward. He grew into larger size and landed hard on the ground, on his back. He heard Suzy moan in pain he struggled to get to his feet. He was on his hands and knees, looking around until he saw Suzy lying on her side.

She was moaning in pain. It sounded like one of her legs might be broken and it broke his heart. He looked up when he heard rustling. There was Eve, walking towards him with a patronizing look. Like he should have known better than to run away. His jaw dropped slightly.

"Now you really shouldn't have done that. I haven't finished talking with you."

He remained on the ground, looking up at her. "I don't know what you want or talking about. There is no reason for us to talk to dreamers."

"Don't give me that. Your kind have the ability to speak to the more sensitive dreamers." Eve walked up with a narrowed look. She stood there looking down at him. She was like a mother who caught her child doing something wrong and was giving them the opportunity to fess up to the crime. The problem was that it didn't look particularly friendly. "Don't tell me you haven't spoken to any of them?"

"The ability is to soothe reluctant dreamers so they could pass through to the land of dreams," he admitted, "Just because we can, doesn't mean that we do it whenever we want. There are rules…"

"Rules. Of course there are rules."

He watched as Eve snapped that and started pacing in front of him. He watched her and spared a glance at Suzy. She hadn't moved since she fell. She was breathing but she was in pain. His expression saddened and turned it to look at Eve. "Please. I don't know who or what you are talking about. I have no interest in what mortals do in their dreams. I just help them…"

"I know. You help them pass the gate." Eve turned a sharp eye towards him. Her eyes narrowed, disappointed that she was unable to get what she wanted. She scoffed at him. "You are the one in charge!"

"As I said, we can hold conversations to ease the transition for the more reluctant dreamers," he said as he slowly clambered over to Suzy. He put his hands over her body to feel for broken bones and anything out of the ordinary. It was also to ease her pain. He looked down and swallowed, angry that his Suzy was hurt and blurted, "The only way to talk to a dreamer is to dream walk yourself or speak to the one that rules the dream realm. Either choice will give you the answers that you want. Now please, just leave us alone."

He looked at Suzy as she laid there and then at Eve. He wasn't feeling particularly brave, but he was angry at the turn of events. He watched as she paced in front of him. There was no way for him to get out of there. Suzy was down and he wasn't going to call another one of his kind to help. He would not put them in danger.

Eve groused before looking at her target. She narrowed her eyes as she processed what he said. She studied him as he tended to his beast that smelled. As she did, an idea came to her. She approached slowly as an almost predatory grin came over her face. This was going to be some fun and she was going to get to the bottom of the mystery that had her intrigued. She got up close and mused, "And maybe you can do something for me after all."

The tone of Eve's voice drew his attention from his ministering to Suzy. She was in bad shape. He would have to put her out of her misery since she was dying. If he didn't do something it would be a slow and painful death. It would be a hard blow and he wasn't sure about building rapport with a new mount. When he heard Eve's voice, he looked up. He saw the look on her face and immediately a bad feeling overcame him. He slowly stood up and backed up, "There is nothing I can do for you."

"Oh yes you can," Eve replied with a grin. She stepped closer to close the distance between them. "You can do something for me."

"And why would I want to help you?"

Eve chuckled at the retort and the glare he was giving her. Finally he was getting a spine and biting back. She smiled in a cruel and sweet fashion, "Because you have no choice. Not unless you want me to hunt down another one of you."

It was a tough situation. He knew that she was capable of doing violent things. And she definitely was pretty powerful. She could destroy him and the others if she wanted. He gritted his teeth and gestured, "You leave the others alone."

"Then what are you going to do? Try to put me to sleep?" Eve snickered at the thought. "Cause I would just love that." She stepped closer and put her hands on him seductively. "You open the gate and…"

"And what? You'll torture the dreamers? I don't think so."

Eve narrowed her eyes at him. "You're refusing? You know the consequences."

"I know. And I can send out a signal. You won't be able to catch any of the others."

Eve looked at him with a speculative look. She smirked at that. "Clever." She turned like she was going to walk away. She wasn't going to let him get away so easily thought. "But that is not going to stop me. Apart from a bastard capturing and killing my children, I want to know about this rogue dragon slayer. I want to talk to anyone. Even the damned must sleep."

"I won't open the gate for you to go through."

"No," Eve replied after taking a look at him. She smirked again. "Maybe not for me to go through. But for the other side to come through here."

He never saw it coming when he was shoved back and her eyes flashed. He realized she was doing something and it was going to lead to horrible consequences. He only had time to shout out before he was consumed by a light and then it was dark.

* * *

 **A/N:** And we are off on a new episode and it looks like Eve, Mother of All is involved. Stay tuned for next time on Sandman...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The dungeon was dank and dark. The only light was from the torches on the walls. Water was dripping and she could smell the water in the air. It felt humid and it clung to her skin. It made the open sores on her body sting. The cut on her lip felt fat and it stung. And she couldn't reach up to assess the damage or take care of it.

Moving her arms, she heard the chains rattle. Slowly, she looked to the left and to the right. She could see her hands covered with dried blood. It was broken by the patches of her skin that hadn't been covered in blood. Her wrists were chafed but not burned since the shackles were made of iron. Her arms felt sore, like she had been hanging there for a while. And she had.

A door opened, capturing her attention. She looked in the direction of the door opening, trying to minimize her movements. She didn't want to give her 'visitor' any more ammunition than necessary. This wasn't just a physical game. It was a mental one too.

"I know you're awake, my pretty. You don't have to pretend."

She knew who was talking. She recognized the voice. It was one that she disliked immensely and it tormented her. She didn't make any indication that she heard him though. She wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. She left her head hanging downward, until it was yanked backwards and she was staring up into the face of the one she knew well. Her face contorted slightly.

"You don't have to pretend with me, my pretty. I know what you are up to. I know you. You can't lie to me."

She didn't say anything but stared up into his face. Her eyes were narrowed in intense concentration in order to focus on her captor. Her lip twitched like it wanted to grin. She didn't know why but she sensed that it would just piss him off since it was similar in the manner of a man she knew very well.

It didn't translate well since her head was yanked back until it was against the shoulder of her captor. Her body was straightened up and her back was pressed against a chest and it wasn't one that she liked being pressed against. She immediately started to tremble when she felt a hand on her neck. Her throat convulsed and she started to struggle only to be pressed harder against the chest.

"Don't do that, my pretty."

She couldn't resist pleading, "Stop. Please."

The hand around her neck moved lower towards her breasts. She started struggling but the hands around her body pressed on her harder to prevent her from moving too much. She felt the hand move to slide up her side and up her restrained arms. Her body trembled in response as the other hand moved from its position to encircle her abdomen. She gasped at the touch as she was pressed harder into his chest. Her breath hitched and shuddered.

"Now to really have some fun."

She shuddered more and the scene shifted. She found herself in one of those skimpy outfits made to look like an exotic or tribal wear. Her hair was arranged like those anime girls. The clips held her long hair in those cute pigtails and she had bangs out to add to the effect. The only thing that was remnant of the previous position was a neck shackle. She turned to look and saw him.

"Now _that_ is more like it."

She shivered and the chain jingled. She looked at her outfit. She really did look like something out of an anime. She looked at her tormentor as he reached out and wrapped a hand around her waist. Her breath hitched again and she jerked back. The hand became rough and grabbed her and pulled her forward until she was pressed against his chest. She tried to resist by pressing her hands against the chest and she felt his hips grind against her and she tried harder to resist until she was pressed against a wall and his breath was on her neck.

"Don't be like that, my sweet. You're mine. And you never left."

She shut her eyes and cried out. She shoved as hard as she could. She was then falling. Her limbs flailed as she fell into darkness.

Angela opened her eyes, feeling her heart race. She gave a painful blink as she looked around. It was her room at Bobby's house. Nothing was there to indicate that it wasn't real. She let her nostrils flare as she took in the scents and she latched onto the one that was dear and familiar and safe and sighed. She smiled sadly when Sam's arm tightened gently around her waist as if sensing her discomfort.

"I told you that you couldn't stop thinking about me."

Angela turned to look. She saw Lucifer sitting in a corner watching with interest and mocking her about it. She slowly sat up so as not to wake Sam and glanced over at the clock. It had only been three hours since they went to bed and she felt exhausted. She glared at Lucifer and laid back down, prepared to ignore him and go back to sleep. She was determined to get enough sleep since she was on the verge of collapse.

"Ignoring me won't stop me from entering your dreams," Lucifer droned. "I mean, you may have ignored me and that worked but… I just can't let you go."

Angela growled low in frustration. She looked up at the ceiling when she started hearing Lucifer singing. It wasn't bad singing but it was going to be enough to keep her awake. And she was not going to start tossing and turning and wake up Sam. At least one of them could get enough sleep. She growled in frustration and threw the covers back and got out of bed.

The flannel shirt she pulled on was one of Sam's dirty ones that she picked up from where he discarded it before a gentle make out session that ended in gentle and tender sex since neither wanted to scar Bobby for life and did not want to hear it from Dean. It was oversized on her but Sam's scent was comforting and she needed it as she left her room and headed downstairs. She pursed her lips since she knew that Lucifer was following her and she really wanted to hit him, but it was pretty much impossible since he was basically a hallucination.

It frustrated her because this started not too long after their body swap and it started escalating at an alarming rate. She tried to hide it under the fact that she was getting up early and bolstering herself with coffee. It was starting to take its toll on her though. She was getting less and less sleep with the nightmares of hell, of the one thing that she didn't tell Sam about. She was candid about the physical torture from both, but there was something else that ached in her heart and it pained her greatly.

A shrink would have said that it was guilt over what happened. And that was if they believed the literal being in hell thing. Angela blinked and tried to keep the tears at bay as she heated water for tea. She didn't want coffee since she didn't want to stay awake. She just wanted one night of sleep. She was tired of keeping things from the boys, but she was so ashamed of this. After all, she had protected men and women from what she had nightmares of and she couldn't do it for herself? She chewed on her lower lips, trying to keep it in.

"Still not telling Sammy about all the fun we had when he did our solo sessions? Didn't tell him how great it was?"

"Go away," Angela retorted through gritted teeth as she went to get a tea bag and a mug.

"I don't think so, my pretty. You can't stop thinking about me. Must mean something."

"It means nothing," she hissed. Her voice almost got louder but she stopped herself. She paused to listen to make sure that she hadn't caused anyone to stir. As hunters, they would rouse themselves as necessary, especially if they suspected something was after them. Still it was three or so in the morning and for once they didn't have something lingering over their heads. They deserved sleep and not the ravings of a sleep deprived dhampir who felt ashamed that she couldn't hold it together because of a damned nightmare.

"Yes it does," Lucifer taunted in a sing song voice. He began humming a nameless tune with the intention of being seductive.

Angela gritted her teeth hard, almost breaking one. She was lucky none of her teeth cracked. She turned and glared at Lucifer as he made himself comfortable on one of the chairs. "Go away," she repeated.

Lucifer gave a mocking smile and shook his head. He was going to make this a long one and he was letting it be known. It was ridiculous since he was a hallucination but he was there and it was very effective. He sat there looking at her. "Here for the long haul. At least until you give me what I want."

Angela was so angry she felt her breath hitch. She balled her hands into fists on the counter and leaned on it. She could hear the kettle start to whistle and turned to focus on it. She sent a glare back a Lucifer and turned to remove the hot water from the stove. She could hear him murmuring and humming the song he had been humming earlier. She turned her attention and focused on pouring the hot water into her mug.

Steeping the leaves and taking a whiff, she was able to relax. She started to tune out Lucifer completely and smirked when she heard the disappointment. She picked up the mug and breathed in the scent as she padded softly out of the kitchen and to the living room to Bobby's study. Dean was asleep on the couch, otherwise she would have curled on the couch.

The chair Bobby liked to sit in was like one of those out of the classic movies where the boss sits in the big chair. It was leather and cushiony and she could get why Bobby liked it so much. She smiled as she crawled into it and sat, drawing her knees up. She held her mug in both hands and breathed in the scent of the tea and smiled.

"Come on. Don't tell me you're ignoring me?"

She was ignoring the devil as she breathed in the scent. She continued to smile as her body began to relax. She took a sip of the tea and savored the flavor. Lucifer moaning about her ignoring him faded into the background as she savored the tea. She grinned as she settled into the chair, getting comfortable. She looked up grinning as she looked at nothing in particular, until her eyes lighted on the manuscript that they took from the dragons.

"You are not going to do this to me. Again."

Angela wasn't even listening. She found that sometimes behaving like normal helped with the hallucinations. Also keeping busy with the jobs that came their way helped. But she was still suffering for it in terms of sleep. The cat naps were hardly doing it anymore and she was barely keeping it together with the tankards of coffee she consumed when needed.

It was probably a bad idea, but sometimes work put her to sleep. She took another sip of her tea and reached for the manuscript. She opened it and looked at the work that Bobby had already done. He had said it was going to take his golden years to translate all of it. From the looks of things, it appeared he got through quite a bit. His biggest pile of research was on Eve, the Mother of All even though there was other information on the place where she was from.

"Aw come on. Entertain me, sweetheart."

Angela didn't look up but she held her finger up in warning in the direction of Lucifer, "You don't get the right to call me that. So not another peep."

Peering at the manuscript, she studied the Latinate that Bobby was having issues with. It was like reading the book that Sam had gotten her for her birthday: The Eagle and the Falcon. It was a romantic tale but it had been written during her time, when she was a young girl and written in the language she knew then. It was actually a bit older but she had to hand it to the monks at the abbeys she spent her training years at. She felt bad that she couldn't help Bobby as much as she would have liked initially, but it was complicated. Mostly the fact that she was torn between the need to help the grizzled hunter and the need and desire to be close to her mate.

Now that she was awake and looking for a means to go back to sleep, she might as well help him out. She chuckled softly when she noticed a couple of new books. Peering at the label revealed that they were from the bookshop that Haley operated when she and Dean were living together. She mentioned that it had been a very good living along with Dean working as a mechanic. It seemed that Haley decided to keep the shop. That would mean that she would have kept the house as well; like a place for Dean to go home to.

A slight noise caught Angela's attention, and it wasn't Lucifer. She turned to look in the direction of the source and listened as Dean turned and muttered in his sleep. Her expression took on a look of concern. Both brothers occasionally talked in their sleep, and it was a precursor to a nightmare. Sam may not remember his time in hell, but he had plenty of baggage and one nightmare that he refused to tell her. Dean also had baggage and he remembered it. Her heart went out to the man that was a brother to her in more ways than one. She wished that Haley were there. She had seen them together and… She sighed and looked down at the tome she was reading. Dean wouldn't want her to meddle and worry. He worried enough.

She had a really complicated family life. And yet she wouldn't trade it for anything. Sighing as she breathed in the tea scent and taking a sip, she bent over to read and make notations of a translation. Occasionally, she would rub her nose on the shoulder of Sam's flannel just to breathe in his scent. Lucifer didn't bother her again. For now.

* * *

Something was wrong. It wasn't blatantly obvious like someone barging in, but it was there. It was in the very air. And that was saying something.

Morpheus, the god of dreams, ruled the realm of dreams with his sister the queen. Together, they oversaw the realm where people came and played out fantasies, hopes and sometimes the nightmares after they were passed through the veil gates. Some had it easier than others and could actively participate in their dreams. It was how they remembered them with clarity. Then there were the ones who could walk through the realm and into other people's dreams. None of those were the things that gave the sense of wrong.

Morpheus looked around in the chamber or throne room that he ruled from. It was not so much as a throne room as it was a viewing room. While he had free reign to roam through his domain, he preferred a more passive look at things. He enjoyed viewing what beings dreamed of. The only time he had been seriously active was because of one being. Maybe a few but one seemed to be on top of his list.

"Something is wrong."

Morpheus turned and looked at his sister and joked, "Glad I'm not the only one that senses that." He studied his sister and asked, "Any ideas as to what?"

"None. None of the usual suspects," the queen replied with a concerned look in her eye. "But something is wrong."

Morpheus looked at his sister and was going to say something when a voice rang out, "Yes, something is wrong."

Morpheus and the queen turned to see a being that neither had expected seeing. Morpheus heard his sister gasp softly, but he kept his composure. He was older and had seen more and this was something that he had hoped wouldn't happen again. He stared at the intruder with a bland expression and said, "Of course. The one thing that could be wrong but not obvious. A gatekeeper."

"You are clever."

Morpheus shrugged as he maneuvered slightly so his sister could get behind him. He stared at the intruder, studying him. "But I never would have suspected you. You are the alpha. More likely you would have refused."

"What's the point? There is freedom in exploring all possibilities."

"But your kind enjoy the work you do."

"Not anymore."

At that moment, there was a loud bang. It almost felt concussive with a visible ripple. The queen stared at the ground and made a slight sound when a rumble seemed to shake everything. The pillars rattled or rather loose debris crumbled to the ground. She looked at Morpheus who was standing there, looking at the intruder.

Morpheus looked at the intruder. He could feel the assault onto the realm and it didn't feel like the one from the past. He stated baldly, "So you've converted a few of your underlings."

"They wanted to be free like me," the intruder replied with a sardonic grin. His eyes were focused on Morpheus, not really caring about the queen. It wasn't like she had any real power. "We're tired of just opening the gates. We want more."

Morpheus stared at what was clearly corruption on a level that seemed out of control. His first instincts was to remove his sister. Pretty much the entirety of their world didn't know about certain aspects of his sister. Call it the joke of the universe or following the laws the Creator set, it was what it was. And he was certain that things were going to require a more aggressive approach. He just hoped that his sister remembered the protocol that had been developed ages ago for something like this. It really brought the fondness he had for human peculiarities.

The intruder looked at Morpheus as the god of dreams stared at him. It was getting annoying because the god wasn't easily as riled as say one of the ones of war. He was too calm… almost as if he knew what was going to happen next. He had to ask, "Why aren't you panicking?"

"What's the point?" Morpheus shrugged at the question. He kept his focus on the intruder while separating him from his sister. It allowed her to escape. Where, he didn't know. He left that up to her. As for him, he was willing to take the consequences. It wasn't the first time he had been sought. The powers of the god of dreams were unique and the effects were known. He looked at the intruder, "You are going to do what you came to do. And it's not the first time someone came for me."

The intruder looked at Morpheus, not liking that he wasn't getting any panicking of the sort. He narrowed his eyes at the god as he adjusted his stance. He looked at the god that was just standing there. There were loud rumbles and one particularly loud crash that caught both of their attention. He looked at the god with a grin, "It's already starting."

Morpheus looked up and at an angle like he was listening for something. He could hear it and sense it. It was worrisome. There was only so much that he could do. He just hoped that his sister left and made her way out and into hiding. He looked at the intruder and said, "Indeed."

"So, are you going to fight back?"

Morpheus stood there looking at the intruder. He truly was sorry that it came to this. "Oh you know. I abhor bloodshed."

The intruder snorted at that. He looked away and at nothing in particular. "Oh it will happen if you resist and I know that you will fight. This is your beloved dream world."

"I love this place, don't get me wrong," Morpheus countered with a slight look. His face contorted into a slight grin like he was having a conversation with one of his more active dreamers with a high propensity to sarcasm. "I'm just not going to go extreme over it."

"Now that's not the god of dreams." The intruder glared pointedly at Morpheus.

Morpheus shrugged at that like it wasn't important. He started pacing but slow and deliberate since the intruder could react and that would really screw with things. "Well, I have been attacked before and I have been summoned and bound before. It doesn't take much of anything to make me concerned about what is going to happen."

"So you don't care?"

"Oh I care." Morpheus made a face that seemed to say that he really didn't. "I just have practice."

Before the intruder could react, a plume of smoke exploded in front of him. He growled and shielded his eyes since it wasn't a normal smoke bomb. When it cleared, the room was empty. He looked around and growled in frustration until it became a roar. He turned and started looking through the place.

Morpheus paused when he heard the roar. He didn't have much time but he could buy more to ensure his sister's escape. He walked through the halls of the place that could be called a palace. Some mortals called it the temple. In any case, it was the place he called home and from where he oversaw the dream world. There were a few things he could do to make life difficult for whoever was doing this.

The god of dreams made his way to a small room in the palace. It was one he had made after the first attempt of someone trying to take over. It was a mortal that attempted it but still it was enough for him to reevaluate and do what was necessary. Especially after he learned the reason for it. He just didn't like the fact that what he was about to do was going to send alerts on all levels and probably annoy a few but...

The tablet was mounted to look like a stelae. On it was carved glyphs from the times of old. Morpheus stood in front of it and put his hand on top of it, sighing as he stared at the glyphs. "There is only one reason I would use you. May she forgive me for it."

There was loud bang and the sound of crumbling walls. Morpheus looked up and towards the door he came through. He didn't have much time and he sensed there was someone else with the intruder. He made a slight sound and looked at stelae. He shook his head and sighed. He didn't have a whole lot of choice. He had to do this.

Closing his eyes, he focused his energy and when he was ready, he opened them, producing the eye flair that signified power being used. He started reading the glyphs on the stelae. It was a long chant, a bit of cliché and downer, but he had to read every single word for it to take effect. He continued even though he heard banging through the halls and they seemed to be getting closer. He was almost done when they busted into the room. He paused to see the intruder burst in looking like he was going to commit bloody murder. The god of dreams looked at him before turning back to the stelae and recited the last few words. He had just finished when he was grabbed by the intruders converts and held prisoner. He merely looked at the intruder with a calm expression. No regrets.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Morpheus looked at the intruder with a bland expression before replying, "You think that I am not going to put up a fight?"

The intruder was going to speak but he was interrupted by another voice, "Oh I was disappointed that you didn't fight earlier."

Morpheus turned to look. He held his breath but couldn't help but hiss low between his teeth and lips. He didn't struggled but he must have moved since the ones holding him tightened their grip on him. He looked at the newcomer, trying not to react.

"What's the matter? Nothing to say?"

Morpheus looked at the one speaking to him. He finally said, "Nothing worth saying."

"Show respect," the intruder snapped.

"Don't bother," the new one said, "It's not like he's going to stop what we intend to do. Even with his little spell." There was laughter. "After all, it will be rather interesting to see worlds merge."

"Don't be so sure," Morpheus countered. He looked at them both. "There are harsh consequences for what you are doing. Don't be surprised if someone responds."

"That's the idea."

* * *

 **A/N:** Angie is still struggling with the hallucinations of Lucifer and Morpheus faces off an intruder. Stay tuned for next time on Sandman...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"You find anything?"

"Nothing so far," Sam answered as he looked through his laptop. He had been looking through various newspaper sites, trying to find something to do.

They had been staying at Bobby's for a while for some R&R, but he and Dean didn't want to impose on the grizzled hunter any more than they had too, even though Bobby pretty much said they could stay as long as they liked. Plus, Sam could tell that Dean was getting restless and ready to be on the move again. He didn't say it in so many words, but he was itching to hunt something even though he had been pretty busy helping with the Mother of All thing. That was them. With Angela, it was sort of assumed but not completely since she was the only one that Bobby truly said that she had a home there.

Bobby looked at Sam as he huddled over his laptop. He knew that they boys were trying to find something to do to get out of his hair. They were grateful, but weren't the type to impose, even though he more or less said that they could stay. He didn't press, but asked if there was anything that Sam had found when he started noticing the younger Winchester looking up for anything to do. He checked what Sam was looking at and mused, "Seems like a lot of weird stuff happening."

"But nothing in our neck of the woods."

That was always the risk. The lull was probably the fact that the monsters just didn't want to come out to play or they were being careful. With this whole Mother of All thing, Bobby was opting for careful and that the lull was the calm before the storm kind of thing. He shrugged, "Well I got more of that book translated with Angie's help."

Sam looked up, "Angie?"

"Last couple of mornings I've been waking up and a few more translations into more modern Latin are sitting on my desk."

Sam didn't say anything but pursed his lips. He realized that she wasn't sleeping well again or she hadn't and was keeping it from him. He knew that she had woken up a couple of times from nightmares and had let him provide some measure of comfort. Now it seemed that it was a frequent thing and he was missing it. It irked him and had him concerned. He didn't want to admit that it hurt his feelings a little bit but he was the kind to be patient. He knew better than anyone intimacy was a foreign concept to her. So he pretended that it wasn't unusual and commented, "Really? That should help."

Bobby eyed the younger Winchester warily, "And you know something."

"Not really."

"Don't hide from me, boy." Bobby paused a moment. While he still had some reservations about Sam from the time he was soulless, he managed to let up a little. He was still wary because Sam had the wall in his head and he wasn't inclined to fully take Death's word for it that it would be fine. He toned it down a little and continued, "I know she's not been sleeping well. Yesterday, she looked like she had been day dreaming or zoning out. Took me three times to get her attention."

Sam didn't say anything but he felt his throat convulse at the old man's observations. He knew that too. He replied softly, "I know."

Bobby nodded. He figured that was the case and knowing Sam, the boy was going to wait until she came to him. It was a good plan considering that it was Angela but sometimes you just had to bully her a little. And it seemed that some things were new to Sam too. He pressed, "Any idea what to do about it?"

"I don't know," Sam answered honestly. "She talks to me, but I think she's afraid because of the wall Death put in my head." He looked at nothing in particular and then looked up at the grizzled hunter and added, "She sees Lucifer. Like he's there standing next to you seeing him."

That was new to Bobby and it had him want to curse. He muttered, "Idjit."

"It hasn't been bad lately. Only when she's stuck thinking things through. It's like it's that nagging conscious or something." Sam tried to puzzle it out from when Angela explained it to him. She had come clean about that after their body swap incident. She told him how Lucifer always seemed to bring to the front the choice she knew how to make and it was like arguing with herself except with Lucifer.

"And I hope she told him to stuff it." Bobby looked at Sam like he was insane. When Sam gave the guilty look, he nearly exploded, "You're kidding me? She actually listens to that asshole?"

"Bobby, it's more like trying to justify a choice that's gonna kill her with guilt when it's done and it's the best one she has at the time. Like when she did what she did with that whole treaty business with Roslyn and the Hunter clans." Sam gestured to make a point and hopefully calm the elder hunter down a little.

"Still don't make it right that she's talking to him. What if he tells her they best way to end this is by offing you and Dean?" Bobby gave Sam a pointed look.

"And if he did, I would tell him to go fuck himself," Angela's tired voice entered as she walked through the room towards the kitchen. She paused to look at the two men and noted that Sam looked guilty like betraying her confidence and Bobby was glaring at her for being stupid for hiding it. She added, "But it's not like that. Mostly it's been nightmares lately and they have increased in frequency."

"About what?"

Angela blinked slowly as she looked at Bobby. She knew Sam was listening, desperate for answers since all he wanted to do was to help her. There were some things she could tell them. Others… not quite yet. Swallowing slightly, she replied, "Lot of things. Mostly like what Sam had before we met. People I know dying but the person doing the killing is different, some of hell, and they… feel different."

"Different? How?" Sam choked out the words as he looked at his girlfriend.

"Like they are real. Like touching real." Angela frowned a little at that. "I know sometimes they can feel real but this is different. Like it came to life."

It sounded weird and probably was a ticket to the nut house, but the Winchesters and Bobby had dealt with the strange things and it was their line of work. They knew to take it seriously even if she brushed it off and it had become clear as she worked the translations that morning that she couldn't keep it from them. The problem was she didn't know if they could feel the same way. Granted that they all had been dream walking before with dream root, they were not sensitive like she was and they hadn't been formally trained like Morpheus had trained her. It took effort to understand and even she didn't always get it the first time around.

"Like dreams coming to life?"

"Something like that."

Bobby would have said something but at that moment, the phone rang and he groused as he went to answer it. It gave time for Angela to grab a cup of coffee, her tenth or eleventh and that was conservative, come back and sit next to Sam. She gave him apologetic look for springing this on him. His response was to reach out for one of her hands and hold it in his. She blinked as she looked at him, surprised.

Sam resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her expression. He did think that they were past this, the whole surprise at being shown kindness despite who and what she was. Then again, she knew that she withheld and was still withholding a few things, but the fact that she was telling him showed how much trust she had and a testament to her opening up. He would just do what he could. So, he held her hand in his and just massaged the palm gently, not saying anything except to give her a reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry," Angela offered softly as she watched Sam massage her hand.

"You don't have to apologize. You told me."

"But I did not mention it and tried to hide it," Angela pointed out. She swallowed slightly and added, "Because some of those nightmares of hell… they are things I wish I could forget and I can't. And…"

"You don't have to tell me," Sam affirmed. He was not going to push her on what she remembered.

"Eventually, I will. Just to understand." Angela looked at him with tired and pointed look. She wanted to sleep but she didn't want to. Something was nagging at her and it woke her after she fell asleep at Bobby's desk. "A promise."

"Always."

Angela gave a smile. Sam was really too good for her. He really wanted to be with her and was willing to go great lengths to make it work. Even if it looked like it was going to crash and burn hard he tried. It made her love him all the more. More than she could express in words, so she leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"There's a place for that and it ain't in my kitchen."

Angela grinned as she pulled back and looked at Bobby. "Come on, Bobby. Even you should know that there is such a thing as a thank you kiss."

"Not the way yours turn out. The both of ya."

Sam cleared his throat at that and was certain that he was blushing. His neck certainly felt like it was heating up. It was a bit difficult to be intimate the way they liked it without creating disturbing nightmares or a situation where Dean pestered him for details. He tried to follow Angela's lead since she would act like nothing was out of the ordinary. He didn't even blink when she moved her hand to clasp his and give a gentle squeeze.

Angela looked at Bobby still smiling and said, "It's all good." She then switched topics, "So, who was that on the phone?"

"None of yer Academy friends," Bobby groused, knowing that she was not going to rise to the bait regarding her relationship with Sam. "It was the Roadhouse."

Angela became sober. "Anything wrong?"

Bobby held up his hand. He knew that she was the one that helped Ellen and Jo rebuild the Roadhouse after it had been destroyed and she kept in touch with the current proprietors especially after the horse lord thing with Shiva. They did what Ellen and Jo did and that was field out calls regarding jobs to hunters. He replied, "Kenny was calling to report something out of the ordinary. Things that don't exist coming to life."

"Sounds like a witch problem," Sam probed.

"But it started about two, three days ago. The things have been appearing, killing them and then disappearing."

Sam thought about it. It sounded like that one job where that god was turned into the idols of people to be worshipped and then killed them. It was funny because Dean had his ass kicked by Paris Hilton. "Another god maybe?"

Angela was quiet as she thought through the details that Bobby was giving from what Kenny gave him. She frowned as she put the pieces together. It didn't help that she was so tired. Tired to the point that she shut her eyes to rest them. She had every intention to opening them but she fell into deep sleep and the world faded away.

She found herself in the garden, the same space that Sam and Dean had modified when she had been reduced to her four year old self. It was a place meant to protect against nightmares and those that tried to find her through dreams. She frowned as she looked around, taking in the trellis and the roses. She hadn't been back there since then and maybe she should have if only to get back to getting a good night's sleep.

It was different though. There was a mixture of ancient Greek and Egyptian, Ptolemaic Egypt. It had her frown and she looked at her person. She made a slight face but she couldn't complain. At least it was comfortable, and it felt familiar. She couldn't think of where it she would think of that or know that but decided not to dwell on it. Instead, she looked around, feeling a little at peace in that garden.

"I thought it would be best to appear in something that is familiar to you."

Angela turned to see that she was looking at a pillar to a trellis archway. She frowned under the shadow behind it became visible. She softened slightly and shifted her stance. She folded her arms over her chest. "Not to mention a place that is hidden from most things that could come after you in dreams. Why are you here… milady?"

In the meantime, Sam and Bobby had realized that Angela had fallen asleep and was not waking up so easily. They both fought the panic that threatened when she didn't react like she would if it were Dean trying to wake her up. They peered at her and Sam reached out to touch her shoulder. He gave a firm squeeze to see if it would elicit a response. "Angie."

She didn't respond the first time. Sam's throat swallowed slightly as he glanced at Bobby. He then looked at Angela and tried again. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder, giving a harder squeeze. No response on that one. Sam did it one more time as hard as he could so that it was bruising and shouted, "Angie!"

Angela's eyes opened, and she shot up straight into an attack position. At that moment, Dean had walked in and she reacted grabbing him by the throat with one hand and gave a narrowed gaze at him. She released him once she realized it was Dean, but she still looked around the place. Like she was searching for something before she saw something that caused her to go white and she collapsed.

* * *

 _Things have happened. Your realm and mine are in danger._

Angela stared out the window as her finger ran along the rim of the coffee mug that Sam had brought her. After she had fainted, she came to and almost attacked the three hunters in the room. She had been disoriented; it felt like when Lucifer tortured her. She had trouble telling reality from imaginary, that much she had told Sam about. The thing that made her faint though was seeing the one thing that she didn't want to tell any of the men that would do anything to protect her. That coupled with coming out of an interesting conversation with an old friend of sorts sent her over the edge.

She woke up and all three men hovered worrying and asking if she was okay. She wasn't very confident since she was almost falling asleep standing in front of them. It took them convincing her to sit down and Sam brought her a cup of coffee to keep her awake. She told them about what happened when she drifted off and that started Bobby and boys talking about the job that Kenny had called about. It now put up a debate on whether to do the job or not.

Hardly anyone was listening to her when she said that she was okay, so she just lounged on a chair and accepted the coffee that Sam got her. She listened to the arguments while thinking about the impromptu meeting with the queen of dreams. It was a real conversation, but it had her puzzled at the manner it was given.

Having lived a few centuries, through history, Angela liked things that were from a time she lived. She had items from most major points in human history. Some had sentimental value and others were just because she liked them. The outfit the queen dressed her in, it was not from when she was trolling through history. It was older, and it felt… right.

 _I figured it would be best that you appear how you are._

That was what the queen had said and it puzzled Angela. It also puzzled her that the queen appeared distracted. Much like she had seen autistic children or an absentminded professor once. It puzzled her and sent her radar pinging. Something was wrong. That much was clear and even more so when the queen spoke to her.

 _The realms are merging. The mind comes to life._

Angela frowned as she mused on that phrase. She heard Dean and Bobby arguing over the job. Dean was saying that it wasn't a problem and Bobby was saying that they were idjits for insisting that she go along. Sam was trying to be reasonable and they were telling him to shut up. It was the usual to the point that it didn't interfere with her thinking.

"I see you still manage to ignore what is going on around you."

Angela moved her head slightly as she ignored Lucifer. She wasn't going to let the others know that she was seeing him. They already had a scare with her fainting. She was not about to give a repeat performance. So, she stared out the window and continued to run her finger on the rim of her coffee mug. It was a rhythmic pattern and was soothing.

Lucifer sat on the armrest of the couch, next to Sam. It was obvious no one could see him since they were not reacting to his presence. He looked at Bobby, then Dean and lastly Sam. He gave a slow grin as he watched them in their argument before turning to look at Angela. He was amused that she was trying to ignore him, but she was giving tells that she could see and hear him. He smiled knowingly, "So you still haven't told them that you still see me."

Angela pursed her lips slightly but continued to stare out the window. She was not going to say anything. It would only draw attention to it and she didn't want it. Instead, she reached a hand out and started scratching Xander's head as the Wilder put hi head on her knee to solicit a pat and a scratch on his ears.

"Come on now. You can't ignore me."

Angela made a face, making sure that she was looking out the window. She scratched Xander's head some more. She mentally started going through things that had been proven to work. She went back to puzzling out her conversation with the queen of the dream realm.

Lucifer grinned, knowing that she was still listening to him. He got up from his spot and moved his way closer. He grinned when the stupid Wilder didn't even acknowledge him. Of course, he wouldn't, but it was funny anyway. He got close behind her and leaned close over her left shoulder. He grinned as he watched her twitch slightly. It wasn't enough to catch the attention of the three other hunters in the room, but it was enough to make him hum a chuckle. He whispered low in her ear, "You know you need me, sweetheart. I'm the only one that can get you to see clearly."

Angela quietly cleared her throat. She subvocalized so no one would hear her, "I don't need you."

"Yes, you do," Lucifer countered. He put his hand on her shoulder. He rubbed his thumb on the back of her shoulder. "You need me to remind you of what you are. Not just to me, but to everyone you've ever touched and will touch."

"Go away."

"Nope." Lucifer grinned as he straightened up. He looked down at her as she sat, determined not to look at him. It was amusing and pathetic. He sighed, "Come on, Angie. How long are you going to ignore the obvious truth?"

Angela didn't answer. She just kept looking out the window. This was getting harder by the minute. She was trying to think about what the queen had said to her. Most of it had sounded like ramblings but Angela was certain that there was something in the ramblings that gave a clue to what she was trying to say. She didn't think that Kenny's call was a coincidence, but even she had to admit that it did seem a little farfetched. So, her best bet was finding the connection and it wasn't helping that her head was playing games with her and bringing Lucifer out to play. She didn't this. Not right now. Ignoring him seemed to be best, but it was failing.

"You know," Lucifer drawled as he lowered his head to the right of her head. "You know what is going on. It's in your head somewhere."

Angela looked downward at Xander. He had put his head in her lap and was staring up at her. She put her mug down and started using both hand to rub his head. It turned into a head and body massage all the while Lucifer was taunting her that she should know what was going on. The truth was, she didn't know what was going on. For all she knew, they were two unrelated events; that the queen just happened to break form and sought her out.

She could argue that, but the fact was that she had been put into a deep sleep and when she woke up, it was like when she first returned from hell. She couldn't tell if it was another one of Lucifer's tricks. Michael hadn't been too creative but Lucifer was something else. It had made it really difficult the first few weeks mostly because she didn't want to say or do anything that would start the scratching at the wall in Sam's head. And that was something that she didn't want to contemplate if her own predicament was anything to go by.

Ever since what happened in Bristol, she had been worrying about Sam and the wall in his head. She knew Death had been serious according to Dean and from past experience. She wasn't going to mess with that. Sam tried to play it off as if everything was normal while Dean went into mother hen mode. Being in the middle seemed to make more trouble, and it didn't help that Sam was onto her and would question her about what she was seeing or her nightmares. It was treading a fine line.

"You know the answer. What makes you so afraid to say anything?" Lucifer grinned as he watched her. He sidled closer and put his hands on her sides. He watched as she squirmed slightly. "Afraid that it would reveal our dirty little secret?"

Angela had enough. The moment Lucifer squeezed her sides near her hips, she knew she had to move otherwise things would get awkward. She got up a bit abruptly, making the end table shake just a little. She looked at the three men who were looking at her and said with an apologetic smile, "Sorry. Little bump and I need some more coffee."

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Bobby looked at her with a raised brow that said he didn't but her excuse one bit.

Angela tried not to squirm since Lucifer was still touching her. She replied, "Don't know, but just to make you happy, I'll make myself some tea. Always seems to help." She left before any questions could be asked though she was certain there were questions since her manner would suggest anything other than fine.

She made it to the kitchen before releasing the breath she had been holding and went to fill the kettle. She gritted her teeth in anger and turned to where Lucifer was and hissed in a low tone, "Why can't you leave me alone?"

"Because you know what's going on, have the means to fix it, and you won't say anything."

Angela shook her head and leaned on the counter. "I have a general idea since the queen was distracted more than usual. That doesn't mean that what Kenny called about is connected."

"Deep down, you know it is."

"No, I don't!"

"You don't what?"

Angela gasped when she realized that someone was in the room. She turned to see Sam standing in the doorway looking concerned. She turned the knob to put the flame on the stove to a reasonable temperature to heat the water. She could see Lucifer grinning at her, mocking her since she wasn't going to tell the whole truth. Looking at Sam, she chewed her lower lip slightly and replied, "Just… going over what the queen told me and what Kenny called about."

Sam wasn't completely buying it, but he sensed there was truth in it. He pressed gently, "And?"

"Part of me is arguing connection and the other part coincidence and I'm arguing with myself." Angela pursed her lips together and swallowed slightly. She could tell Sam wasn't buying it completely and she felt guilty about it. She had promised she would be more forthcoming about whether or not she was hallucinating. She couldn't keep it back and nearly whispered, "And maybe… Lucifer helped in that conclusion."

Sam studied her. He knew she was still having trouble and she tried telling him. He gave her space and she delivered. It just bothered him that she was suffering so much. Not making a big deal about it, he nodded, "Okay. Dean wants to check it out and… so do I. I'll let him know."

* * *

 **A/N:** Looks like sleeplessness is catching up to Angie and she's getting a visit from someone other than Morpheus. Stay tuned for next time on Sandman...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _This is a strange place._

Penelope looked around as she walked through the streets. There was nothing wrong with the place on the surface. It was like any other place she had seen. There were homes, shops and people. There were also occasionally animals whether they be pets or work animals. She had seen it all. Yet, there was something different about this place.

She had arrived that morning and immediately blended in. She was good at that; making herself blend into the background so she could observe. She liked watching people and what they did. She never had a desire to play a part of their lives unless she had to. This though was different. And she wasn't liking it at all.

She had been sent here and she didn't know what to do. She wandered through the town, feeling lost and not sure of what to do. She walked all the streets in the main part and still couldn't find anything that would ease the uncertainty and anxiousness she was feeling. She didn't like this at all. She wanted to go home.

 _You will be safe there._

It was a thought that had Penelope scoff. She didn't feel safe. There was nothing to give that sense of familiarity. There was one place but she was forbidden to go there until the matter was resolved. It wasn't because she wasn't welcome, but because she was in danger. She was in danger and she was anxious because there was no one there in the place she was at that she can trust wholly.

It was her third time passing by the place called a church that someone noticed her. It was a kindly man that looked at her with concern. Penelope blinked as he looked at her and beckoned, "Come, my child. You look lost."

That was an understatement, but Penelope couldn't compose any form of words. She stood there while the elderly man stood at the top of the steps. Finally, she said, "Lost little lamb looking for the falcon."

It must have confused the old man and he probably thought she was crazy. Penelope had only repeated what she had been told when she initially refused to run. She heard it and ran. Now she was here and she was looking. She was looking for the falcon. She looked at the old man with a lost look.

"It's alright. No one will hurt you."

Penelope stared at the elderly man. She searched her memory since his voice sounded familiar. She had to be careful about it. In the end, she recognized it. She said, "The shepherd protects his flock."

It seemed to please the elderly man and he beckoned her to come. Penelope accepted and slowly walked up the steps. She put her hand in his outstretched one and allowed him to guide her into the church. She spared a glance but she kept her focus on the man. She followed until he led her to a bench and asked her to sit. She sat and looked around as everything caught her attention. She remembered now that she had seen all this.

"What is your name?"

Penelope was looking around when the question was asked. She replied in an absentminded fashion, "Penelope."

"Do you live around here?"

"The lost little lamb looking for the falcon."

~0~0~0~0~

Father Saqr Roussel was troubled by the problems that seemed to have stricken his home overnight. He knew in fact that there had been multiple killings and under suspicious circumstances. Not to mention a few animals being mutilated. It was enough to think that the Apocalypse was upon them, but it was nothing like what happened a year ago. The best he could do was provide comfort for those that were troubled by what was going on.

Today was a little stranger than usual. He was going about his duties when he first noticed the young woman. She was looking a little lost as she passed the first time. He thought nothing of it and that she was probably passing through and trying to find whatever she was looking for. When she passed two other times while he was sweeping out the church, it was a cause for concern and he took a closer look.

She was harmless, but she looked lost and confused and given what he observed, she could get agitated. He knew a couple of his flock that were autism spectrum and Asperger's and he did have some schooling in psychology, mental health before hanging that hat and putting on the collar. His calling. So, he called out to her and she came. She looked like she recognized who he was based on his collar. That was a good thing and she was able to give him her name.

"The lost little lamb looking for the falcon."

Father Roussel was confused about what Penelope was referring to. He knew it wasn't anything related to scripture, but it had an almost reverent quality to it. He asked, "Are you looking for someone, Penelope?"

"The lost little lamb looking for the falcon."

Father Roussel took a breath, trying to be patient. He looked around when Penelope looked around. He heard her whimper slightly when it sounded like thunder. The sky was grey today and it looked like rain, but given the way the girl whimpered, something told him that there was more to it and the best course was to get her somewhere safe.

Being careful, he urged, "Come with me. Let's go inside."

He was glad that she didn't put up a fight. He knew that autism spectrum and Asperger's were sensitive to the people they trusted and routine. To alter it could send the person into distress and sometimes the reaction got violent. She let him touch her on the shoulders and guide her into the church. Once he got her through the doors, he looked back out at the street. He didn't see anything, but that ominous feeling overcame him, and he hurried to be inside, making sure the door was shut securely.

He turned but the girl wasn't there. He looked ahead and saw her walking down the aisle and looking up at everything. She looked like a child in awe of the place. Most young children had the same look when they saw the statues and for some, the stained glass. She was looking at everything and closing her eyes like she was trying to feel the place.

"Penelope?" He gently questioned while following her down the aisle.

"Sanctuary. The falcon would go to sanctuary."

"Is the person you're looking for at a church? Father Roussel thought it was a church. Sanctuary was often used to describe a church and during persecution of certain groups, they would run to the church and proclaim sanctuary and couldn't be touched.

"The falcon would go to sanctuary." Penelope turned with a slight frown and closed her eyes. "Sanctuary."

Father Roussel blinked at what he thought he saw. The girl's eyes seemed to glow before she closed them. When she dropped to her knees, he rushed to keep her from hitting her head. He didn't have to since she managed to stay upright on her knees. Still, he would guilty of not doing his job if he didn't make sure that she was alright. He gave a gentle shake and checked her to make sure that there wasn't anything medical that needed to be addressed. "Penelope?"

"I thought it would be best to appear in something that you were familiar with."

Father Roussel looked at the girl. She was not waking up, but she was talking. He shook her again, but she wasn't waking up. He then felt something like a chill run across his back. He looked around and saw the lights flickering. There was also wind whipping around and for the first time, he felt true fear. The kind of fear that he might die, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't be doing this, but I had to."

Father Roussel looked down at the girl. She was looking calm as she sat on her knees. Her hands seemed planted on the ground as she sat there. Her breathing was even, like she was asleep, but she was talking. To whom, he wasn't sure. When he looked up, it looked like the pews were fading like that effect in movies. And like the movies, something else appeared.

Peering, Father Roussel looked where the pews were warping. He thought he could see a garden of some sort. He shook his head since this was something that could be deemed crazy. He looked again, and the pews warped, and he was still seeing the garden, but it was becoming clearer and clearer. He could see that it was a rose garden with columns and arches.

"My brother told me not to, but I know you needed to know. You are the only one who can help."

Father Roussel looked at the girl and asked, "Who are you talking to? What's going on?"

The wind swirled, and he looked. The garden was there much clearer. The dust swirled between two pillars. He watched as the dust swirled around. All of a sudden, a woman appeared. Father Roussel blinked as he saw her. He looked around and saw that only one section of the church was blocked out by the garden and the woman.

The woman standing between the columns was beautiful. At least what he could see since she was wearing a hood and he could make out her lower jaw. The outfit looked like something out of the Crusades or something. It was old, but well worn and looked like something a man would wear. She had a gauntlet on her left, a sword at her hip and some circular weapon on the other hip. A bow was strapped across her back. She looked like she had blood on her hands, but there was something else about her that the priest picked up on.

The woman looked sad, like she had the world on her shoulders. Yet, there was a glow about her. The glow was something good… like it was blessed or something. He looked at the woman as the light continued to flicker. Then he saw it. It was like wispy black smoke or something. But it wasn't something bad. They were like… wings.

"Your world and mine are in danger. The realms are merging. The mind comes to life."

Father Roussel looked at the girl he was kneeling by and then at the woman that was standing there. He saw her reaction. A fire seemed to breath life into her eyes. It was like she knew what was going on. "What's going on?" He had to ask.

"The realms are merging. The mind comes to life."

"What does that mean?"

"The mind comes to life. My world and your world. All is in danger."

After that, the wind whirled once again and Father Roussel covered his eyes with his forearm. When he lowered it, the garden was gone. He looked around and all he could see were the rows of pews and then the altar and the stain glass windows. What he had seen was gone and he wasn't sure if it was real or not. He looked at his guest.

The girl was still sitting on her knees. Her hands were folded in her lap and she was staring where she had been looking. Father Roussel looked at her and asked, "Are you all right, Penelope?"

The girl didn't respond. Father Roussel shook her on the shoulder, "Penelope. Are you okay? What happened?"

All of a sudden, the girl straightened up. The priest noticed her eyes flickered like jewels like before. She wasn't the girl he welcomed in. Rather, she looked like she was possessed or something. The sudden movement caused the priest to fall backwards. He propped himself up and looked at the girl straight as a ramrod. He gazed wide-eyed at her.

She then looked at him and said, "They are coming."

The priest frowned at that as he sat up more, "Who?"

The girl looked at him before a loud thump sounded on the walls. Father Roussel stood up and looked around. More thumps sounded, like someone was trying to get in and they weren't trying to use the door. There was a crashing sound as one of the windows broke. It was instinctive to protect his face and he raised his arms. "What is going on?"

"They are coming. The worlds are merging."

At that moment the doors to the church banged open. Father Roussel turned at the sound. Something was in the doorway and it wasn't a normal person. He couldn't help but scream at it.

* * *

"So what are the deets on this town?" Dean rotated his shoulders as he peered ahead down the road.

They had taken off that morning, deciding to check out Kenny's lead despite the fact that it seemed to coincide with the fact that Angela had been saying dreams seemed more real as of late. And she was tired, tired to the point that she was drinking coffee that was thicker than oil sludge. Dean hadn't wanted to and Sam…

Sam seemed to be in two minds, but his focus was on Angela. He seemed to think that if they took care of what was happening would help her. Dean also suspected that Sam knew more of what was going on than he was telling. Truth be told, he thought there was something going on with their girl and it was getting worse. It had him worried.

Sam looked up from what he was looking at. He had been distracted since his thoughts were on Angela. He knew she hadn't been sleeping well. He knew she still had nightmares of hell and when she did, she looked at him like he was going to hurt her. It pained him every time he saw it. He knew that she knew he would never hurt her in that fashion, but every time she came out of a nightmare, she was disoriented and would say something that made him think that she thought she was still in hell.

There was also something else. He couldn't put his finger on it. It had to do with the fact that she looked at him so terrified when she woke out of a nightmare. He also noticed how she seemed to be distracted at times and then went off to do excessive training. She would work and tire herself out as if that would keep the nightmares away. When in public, she had a harsh stare for any men that came within her personal space that wasn't him or Dean.

The job Kenny passed onto them, Sam figured that it might help. Like solve one problem, it could help on another. He was hoping that it would help her open up to what was wrong. Knowing that Dean was waiting for an answer, he fumbled with the stack of papers on his lap, "Uh…" He pulled up the sheet that had the basic information on the town, "Uh… Bomont, West Virginia. Small unincorporated town about eight miles west of Clay. Nothing unusual or out of the ordinary about it. Small town feel to it."

"And exactly the kind of place strange things happen," Dean pointed out. "Anything else?"

"Uh… nothing out of the ordinary. No ties to the supernatural, no settlers making pacts with gods… nothing." Sam scanned the information that he had. There was nothing to indicate that the town would have any ties to the world that they worked in. "The only thing that we have is the fact that things that aren't real are showing up, killing people and disappearing."

"Actually," Dean reached out of his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. "Kenny called while we were at the rest stop. Apparently, the things that disappeared don't disappear completely. They have been reappearing and walking down the street. The last thing that happened was that a church in Bomont was broken into and the priest is missing."

Sam took it and looked towards the backseat. Angela was asleep in the back with Zeppelin and Moira. It was probably the most peaceful she had in a while. There was nothing to indicate that there were any nightmares in the process. Hopefully, it would be enough so that she could do the job. He blinked as he watched her, feeling the pain she was in and it pained him that she felt that she couldn't tell him. The pain was also mingled with guilt or shame. He sighed gently.

Dean watched his brother looking in on their girl. He felt bad for his brother and he also felt a little alarm. He was certain that Angela was remembering hell and if she talked, he feared that Sam would start poking at the wall in his head. No doubt Angela knew that and was one of the reasons why she didn't say anything. She was scared something would happen to Sam if the Great Wall of Sam came tumbling down.

Knowing that they had to focus, he tapped Sam on the shoulder and said, "Now it's taking people from a church. Aren't they like holy ground or something?"

"Yeah, but against things like ghosts, demons…" Sam turned to look at Dean. "We may be dealing with something not like that."

"Monster. Goody." Dean adjusted the wheel to straighten it out on the road. "Well it's better than what we've had lately. Take that back, playing freaking West Side Story was kind of okay."

"Dude, you were pissed that someone took a shot at Hale."

"Hey, you would have done the same if it were Angie." Dean gestured at his brother. "It was cool in that we got to stop something that was very real. We stopped a war."

Sam couldn't argue with that. It was a bit different from the usual. And they did learn about their family, more things that they didn't know previously. It was… something to be proud of in a way. That they came from a long line of hunters. He wasn't mad that it was something Angela kept a secret. He understood the methods to her madness and he got it. "Alright, I'll buy that," he allowed. "But the real question is why this town?"

Even Dean was at a loss for that one. "Don't know. I mean this is even weird for us."

Sam nodded and went back to looking at the papers on his lap along with what Dean handed him. "Whatever it is… I think it's connected to the episode Angie had at Bobby's."

"You really think that Angie collapsing is related?"

"She said it herself that her dreams seem more real. I mean," Sam paused and took a breath. It did sound a little farfetched, but he could feel that it was right. "She is more sensitive and can tell the difference between a memory and a hallucination."

"Sam, she thought I was fugly from hell."

"Only because she jolted awake. She's tired because she hasn't been sleeping well. And you know better than I that if you startle her, you're asking for a body tackle." Sam looked at Dean with a knowing look. He knew that wasn't the end of it since he knew it was only body tackles she did. This last one was full on grab and kill."

Dean could have argued that point, but a look at Sam told him that it wasn't worth it. Sam was just saying it to make it not seem as bad as it was, and it was belying the fact that he was worried. He was desperate to think that this job could be the answer, or a step in the right direction. He made a noncommittal sound and put his foot on the accelerator.

The drive was quiet for the most part. Neither brother had much to say about things. Dean wasn't certain leaving Sam alone with his thoughts was a good thing, but Sam was busy trying to sort out their information. Of course, it could be a good cover. They were all good at that. Dean wanted to believe as Sam did that this job might be a step to helping their girl, because he held on to the tiny hope that it would help Sam. At least keep that wall from breaking.

Hunger was what had them stop at a diner. They were only a couple of hours away from the town and it would give them a chance to think about things. Dean pulled up and killed the engine just Angela stretched saying, "Perfect timing, Dean. I need something deep fried and full of carbs."

Dean blinked as Angela got out of the car and stretched while hearing Sam chuckle as he got out. He didn't know whether or not to be weirded out or not since he knew that Angela was like Sam; she was big on eating healthy. Cheeseburgers and road food… that was not her. He got out and said, "Cristo."

Angela had been stretching her arms behind her back when she heard it and turned to look at Dean. She gave a wry grin, "I'm not possessed, Dean. You know my tattoo won't allow it."

"Had to say it," Dean replied with a sheepish look. "I mean it's not like you to crave road food."

"Dhampir genes."

"What?"

Sam's huff was heard as he explained, "Dhampir diet requires a lot of calories, namely carbohydrates."

"But she's like you," Dean gestured at Angela. "She's a veggiesaurus. First choice is a grilled chicken salad, not a cheeseburger."

"If you'd bothered to notice," Angela replied with a grin, "I have a balanced diet. You would have seen the carbs with my meals. Besides, I've indulged before." She boinked his nose before heading into the diner.

Dean wrinkled his nose. "When was that?"

Sam made and exasperated sound before following Angela. Dean watched his brother and turned to see the dogs looking at him. He exclaimed, "Hey, I pay attention. Go explore. I'll try to get you steak."

The dogs took off, glad for the exercise, leaving Dean to follow his brother and Angela into the diner. He found them already seated and looking ready to make out. He had a couple puerile comments about that and they were the kind that would probably get him a prank played upon him and it wouldn't be pretty. Also, Sam would give him a bitch face and probably kick his ass. He did have to admit though that he was glad they were together.

Angela saw him and teased, "Thought you were starving, Dean."

"I am. Taking care of Zep and that sissy runt."

"Moira's not a runt," Sam automatically defended his dog.

"Of course not. She's a harridan," Angela played peacemaker before getting a sly grin, "Better than a tracker who is persistent."

Dean made a face at that. He knew Zeppelin wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was good at his job and there were times that he pulled through for them. "He couldn't help but sputter, "He does his job."

It caused Angela to laugh and the mood lightened considerably. It was enough for her to poke fun at the fact that she had ordered essentially the Hungry Man dinner. Sam wisely said nothing but ordered the same, further shocking Dean. There was nothing that hinted remotely of vegetables. Still, they managed to have a good meal and ready to continue towards Bomont.

They were at the car, Dean was leaning against the car and gave a whistle. It was the whistle that he taught Zeppelin. It was similar to the call for Cerebus and the pup responded readily. They were waiting for the dogs when something else came out.

It was a young boy, crying and running like his ass was on fire. Behind him was the largest animal he had ever seen. It wasn't a werewolf, not like the kind that he had known. It was automatic for him Sam and Angela to charge in. Angela being herself, jumped in front and roared like an alpha werewolf would while he and Sam pulled out their guns.

The thing didn't respond to Angela and she leapt out of the way and grabbed the kid while shouting for Sam and Dean to shoot. They did, and it hit the thing. The reaction though wasn't like a typical werewolf. It disappeared almost like when they struck down a ghost. It was enough for anyone to blink as Dean asked, "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah," Sam breathed, not sure of what was going on.

Angela came out from behind the car with the boy. The dogs had come out of the woods panting and looking disappointed they hadn't been able to fight. She looked around and breathed in the night air. That wasn't a real werewolf. Something was definitely going on and it was probably getting worse.

"What the hell, Angie?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Penelope reaches out to Absolution and the Winchesters and Co. get their first taste of what is going on. Stay tuned for next time on Sandman...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Bomont looked almost like a ghost town, but it wasn't desolated. There was just a creepy vibe to it. It had Angela want to shiver a bit, and she wasn't feeling cold. This felt like those villages she had traveled to that were under the thumb of the powerful monsters, and they were human. She knew the feeling well and this was a similar feeling.

"Looks familiar, like everything else. Right sweetheart?"

Angela blatantly ignored Lucifer. She could react, but that would distract Sam and Dean from looking around. Instead, she walked forward, surveying the area in front of the motel of choice. She reached out with her senses, sniffing the air to try and figure out what it was that was going on.

They had pulled into town after delivering the frightened boy home. The parents were grateful for their help and gave information on the best motel to stay in. They also answered a couple of questions that she asked about what was going on. She asked in a roundabout way so as not to shut them down or they would think she was crazy, and the boys followed her lead.

They got some information and pulled into town. For safety sake, they got one room with the warning from Angela about no puerile comments to Dean. Sam and Dean did the unpacking while Angela surveyed the town. It was where Lucifer decide to make his appearance and now she was blatantly ignoring him.

"You know what is happening," Lucifer crooned. "You just don't want to admit it."

Angela didn't say anything but stared outward. She looked out at the town. It was small, so there wasn't much to hide behind. She could make out a few people scurrying through the streets, some were peeking out their windows and when she looked, they shut them. It was bad. She just hoped that they would be willing to cooperate with them about what was going on.

"Hey, everything all right?"

Angela shifted slightly and glanced at Sam. She pursed her lips and instinctively her eye teeth came out. She ran her tongue along the points of her canines. She was honest, "It looks bad. Reminds me of way back when. When I used to walk into a village in pursuit of whatever. A few during a war or two. They all had the same look."

"Any ideas?"

"Plenty." Looking at Sam, Angela explained, "It doesn't matter if its human or monster. This…" She gestured at the town, "It's the same look. Best bet is to figure out what it is."

"Dean and I were thinking a tulpa," Sam offered.

It was true. They had considered that it was another tulpa. Having encountered one before, it seemed to make sense since things were made real and that was based upon enough people believing it. There were some things missing though that didn't fit, but it was the closest.

Angela nodded, "I would concede that, but there…"

"Are some parts missing, we know," Sam finished as he turned to look at the town. It was hard to imagine her seeing this time after time. People were scared and more likely they weren't going to talk to them, maybe attack in fear. They had no idea what was going on. "It just seemed to fit."

"And I agree," Angela replied. She worried her upper lip over her eye teeth. It had been a long time since her fangs came out like that and stuck around, like they did in the movies. It only went to show how agitated she was. "Still, the fact that the queen of the dream realm spoke to me… I'm thinking that's the place to start."

"But how are we gonna speak to her? I mean we have dream root and you're a natural…" Sam shrugged, knowing that this was out of his league, at least the intricacies.

"I don't think she is there." Angela frowned as she said it. She ran her forefinger along her chin as she thought about her conversation. True that that she had been knocked out when she spoke to the goddess, but…

 _She could see the goddess. She was looking agitated, almost desperate. Angela knew that she wouldn't be doing this if she needed help. She was willing to listen, and the goddess was right. Familiarity with things went a long way. It was then that she saw him_

 _He was a priest and from what she could tell, was a good man and probably confused at the whole thing. He did have a look she was familiar with. It was the look of awe that she had seen many times. She ignored him and focused on the goddess, but she knew he was there. Like he could see…_

"There you are. What are you two doing out here?" Dean had come out, wondering where his brother and Angela had gone. He had a bad feeling about the town when they pulled in and it made him anxious if he didn't know where his girl and brother went. He had tried not to panic, but it gave him a better appreciation for how Sam must have felt when they had to go looking for Angela and it wasn't in fun and games.

Sam and Angela turned to look at Dean. Angela immediately showed a look of apology on her face and, out of force of habit, let out a whine of apology from her throat. Out loud she said, "Sorry, Dean. I just had to take a look."

Dean heard the whine but didn't acknowledge it, but he saw Sam acknowledge it by just grabbing her hand and rubbing it in a soothing gesture. He had no idea what to think about it and chose to address the situation at hand. It was what Angela would do in the first place. He replied calmly, "Ok. Just didn't wanna worry about… whatever it was that coming back."

"I don't think its coming back, Dean," Sam replied as he rubbed his thumb over the top of Angela's hand. "I'm not even sure of what it was."

"Tell Angie about the tulpa?"

"Yeah, he did," Angela replied. She had turned back to surveying the town, trying to get a fell for it. She knew she had to say something at some point. "But it doesn't quite fit all the way."

Dean followed her gaze and noted the distracted air she had. He suspected that she had been seeing Lucifer again and wasn't telling. She looked a little better since her nap in the car was probably the most sleep she had gotten recently. "So… what?"

Angela looked around and didn't answer right away. She looked around, thought about what was going on. Her eyes lighted on the church. "Looks like I have to talk to the queen again."

"The queen? You mean your mom?" Dean wanted clarification and frowned, trying to make sense of what she was hinting at.

"The queen of the dream realm," Sam answered with a slight roll of his eyes. He couldn't blame Dean though for that. After all the things that they had encountered over the years, it was easy to mix them up a little. "The one that talked to Angie."

Dean looked at Angela who was staring off in the distance and then at Sam who was looking at him. He gave a slight gesture at Angela asking his brother a silent question. At the response, he asked, "You sure that's the best thing to do?" When Angela turned to look at him, he held his hands up in surrender and asked, "I mean, you haven't been sleeping well and I know that talking can take a lot out of ya."

Angela stared at Dean, aware that she looked annoyed, but the truth was that she was exhausted. The couple of hours in the car helped but not by much. She lived in constant fear of the nightmares and of Lucifer taunting her and wasn't able to get complete rest. Taking refuge in Sam and his scent was getting old and it pained her on a certain level.

Dean meant well mentioning the toll it took when you had to be very active. Compensation had to come from somewhere. He had every right to be concerned as well as Sam. Angela looked at the brothers and asked, "What choice do we have? It's not a tulpa and if I'm right… we may be getting into something that…" She shook her head.

"What are you thinking?" Dean concentrated on Angela. He sensed that it going to be something that not even his gun would work against. "Something that can't be killed by normal means?"

Angela wasn't sure how to answer that. She looked at the town. She couldn't help but say, "This place reminds me of when I would trek into villages that had bene ravaged by something or someone. The desolation. The fear in the air so thick you could taste it." She took a couple of steps forward and placed her hands on her hips. "I could taste it and all that would come was a desire to right the wrong in the most brutal way possible; punish those that caused it."

"But that was…" Dean frowned trying to think of what to say.

"The last time was when I was in Russia," Angela countered, "And that wasn't too long ago. Just before we teamed up. Depravity, cruelty, death… It's not just the monsters that cause this." She gave a sad smile. "I know this isn't war, but the feeling is the same."

"And you think it has something to do with dreams?"

"I know it does."

"How do you know?" Dean hadn't meant to be hard about it. It was force of habit and he knew that Angela knew he wasn't trying to hurt her feelings.

Angela studied Dean. She knew it was going to sound ridiculous, but it seemed that they were past the point of rational and logical options. They had dealt in the strange for a long time. Sighing she replied, "I don't know for sure, but the fact that she reached out to me, gives me reason to believe that there is something wrong with the realm of dreams and it is spilling out here. It's why we're getting the stories of things that aren't real popping up and then disappearing."

Dean looked at Angela. He was willing to buy it, but she looked ready to collapse. There was no way she would be able to do anything if she was ready to fall asleep on her feet. "Alright, I'll buy it, but there isn't anything we can do about it now."

Angela was ready to protest. She looked in the direction of the church. The answers were there. "I hear what you're saying it is right." She didn't say anything more since she would start to sound like she was on the crazy train and it wouldn't be that far off. She looked at the brothers, "First thing?"

Dean gave the shake that it was okay. He raised his brow when she gave him a kiss on the cheek after squeezing Sam's hand. True, he knew the difference with her modes of affection, but he was suspicious. He waited until she was out of ear shot before saying, "She's gonna try something."

"Yep." Sam didn't even look at his brother and watched as Angela went into the room.

Dean was looking at Sam and asked, "And?"

Sam shrugged and it earned him a slight backhand to the shoulder. He glared at Dean and rubbed the area. It didn't hurt, but it did startle him and it annoyed him. "What do you want me to do? Tie her to the bed? Wait I'd rather not considering we're sharing."

Dean curled his lip slightly. He did go that way in his thinking the moment Sam said it, but let it go. It wasn't the time or the place to get Sam too riled up. Still… "Why not? You're the only one that can decently tell her what to do."

"I don't boss her," Sam retorted.

"Not from where I'm standing," Dean muttered more to himself and he turned away so Sam wouldn't hear him. He cleared his throat and continued, "In any case, gotta lay down the law with her. She looks like she's gonna collapse."

"I know," Sam said softly as he turned to look at their room. Maybe it was a bad idea that they went on this job, but something told him that this was necessary. He didn't like the road they were on because it affected her, but it seemed right, and he didn't have a means of telling Dean that without sounding like he was crazy. He could only hope that Angela wouldn't do anything too rash.

* * *

 _The lights from the wall torches were burning full but the glow was dull. It lit the room as the fire from the fireplace reached outward. It was nice and warm, a complete contrast to the dungeon. It felt very familiar, making it seem like previously was all just a bad dream. Like it was everything before the jump into the abyss._

 _She was curled up in bed. She was warm. Sam was at her back. She could feel his arm wrapped around her waist, his fingertips ghosting on her skin. She smiled in her sleep and tucked herself further into his embrace and his head tucked behind hers. His breath touched her skin…_

Angela narrowed her eyes and huffed a breath. She remembered _that_ particular form of torture. It had made her pissed. She had been mad at Lucifer and at herself. It also made her feel ashamed that she couldn't tell the difference. She always prided on the fact that she could tell the difference between a fake Sam and the real Sam. The same with Dean. They were both unique in their scents which she was overly familiar with having lived with them for four plus years.

Sighing, Angela shifted to make sure that Sam was asleep and looked over at Dean. They were both asleep after they basically stood watch over her to make sure that she went to sleep. She agreed with them because she knew that they wouldn't relent, and they were worried. They had a right to be. She tried. She really did. And she hated lying to Sam about it.

Stealth was her weapon as she slowly got out of bed and moved to grab her clothes and shoes. She opted for something similar to what she wore when she first met Lucifer in the flesh so to speak. Yoga pants were surprisingly comfortable and provided the means of being able to move around. Dean ogled her because it showed off her ability to throw a kick that made you feel it in the afterlife. Sam ogled because of her curves. It had Angela roll her eyes slightly as she pulled on the sneakers she pulled out while listening to the boys' breathing.

They were all good at pretending. She had more practice though and her hearing was stellar. She could hear changes in pitch of breath when she focused. It was handy when on the hunt and it was handy in helping her keep calm when she looked at the dogs. They had woken up but didn't move or do anything when she rumbled from her throat. Another thing that had been increasing lately; her ability to voice herself with grunts and growls and actually be understood by someone that wasn't a vampire or a werewolf.

It was quick work to pull on what she needed and grab her chakram and blade. As an afterthought, she pulled out one of her favorite guns to use and strapped it to the belt she put on. She pulled on one of Sam's jackets and quietly stole out of the room. She only lingered to look on the boys, staying a little bit longer on Sam before she closed the door and took off.

The best bet was the church. She was certain of that. That was in part because when the dream queen summoned her, she caught a glimpse of a church. Given the way that the priest was freaking out made her think that the queen was in the waking world. If that was the case, that would be cause for alarm and hence the urgency to get to the bottom of this despite the fact that she was practically running on empty.

"Well this is new. Never thought that you'd run away from Sam."

Angela felt her lip curl as she growled while keeping her jogging pace, "I'm not running away."

Lucifer chuckled as he kept pace beside her. "Really? So, what do you call sneaking out in the middle of the night with no backup?"

"Working the case." Angela tossed her head slightly, glad that she left her hair in a braid. She liked that it was long and _really_ liked it when Sam would brush it for her. The only downside was that it was long, and it took time to put up. "Time is essence."

"Are you sure that it isn't because you're having so much fun remembering all the fun we had?"

"No."

"Come on," Lucifer taunting, "You mean to say that you didn't get all tingly when you remembered the things I did to you. That you didn't compare me to Sam when he touched you…"

Angela roared and swung a fist. Had Lucifer been real, she would have made contact and send him flying. As it were, she was swinging at air, but it felt good. Her breath came in heaves and she wanted to cry out in frustration. That was so _not_ true. There was no comparing Sam with any other.

"Now that's what I'm talking about. You should know that you truly belong to me…"

"Leave. _NOW!_ "

Angela gritted her teeth as she calmed her breathing. The only sound was the sounds of the night as she looked around. There was no sign of Lucifer. Just the darkened street. She breathed a sigh of relief and started back on her trek towards the church. She hoped that was enough to keep Lucifer at bay until she had a chance to talk to the dream queen. Then she could go back to talking with herself arguing the merits of one plan of attack over another. That would definitely convince Sam and Dean that she was on the crazy train for good.

She walked through the streets and noticed that there were no lights really at all except for some street lights. The houses looked like they were abandoned sitting in the dark but there were people living there. It was definitely like those villages she had been to. The worst had been when it was when she trekked the mountain villages with Mac and his unit. True that it was a war pitted against political groups and terrorism was thrown in the mix, but the effect was still the same. She could smell it in the air along with something else.

She made it to the church. It was a nice one, like those churches found in those Little House towns. Very country like and giving the illusion of purity and innocence. There was a steeple and she could make out the bell in the belfry. Lowering her gaze, she came to the double door entrance. Her nose flared as she sniffed the air around.

She could smell the moisture of the dew and mist in the air. There was also the fear from the town. They were spooked about what was happening. She could also sense something else. She had missed it before because the fear was so corporeal. It had her worry that it would become another Morton House thing except it would affect the whole town. It would be a big attraction for the supernatural.

Looking up, she noticed that clouds swirling. She had seen that before. Usually was the case when major changes were going on, or a spell, usually something related to the supernatural. Sometimes it was a natural phenomenon. Yet, it was a cause for alarm, as Angela looked back down and looked around. Her eyes narrowed as she turned to look back down the street. It was then that she noticed it.

It was right in the middle of the street. It was brief and at first, she thought that she imagined it. Keeping focus on it, she watched as the area flickered again. She frowned as the area shimmered like that of a mirror or one of those cheap effects in movies or television, but this wasn't one of those. She took a step forward to inspect it.

The flicker occurred again and there was a light flare. Angela looked around before back at the flicker. She moved closer and peered through. She blinked at what she saw, and it caused her to frown. This was just like when she practiced dream walking under Morpheus. She blinked at what she saw though. It wasn't a normal dream.

She heard the crack of a whip and a lash flying through the air. She couldn't see what it was hitting. She did end up seeing the one doing the whip cracking. He turned and looked right at her. Something told her that he wasn't looking at a wall or someone else, but at her. She took a step back when it growled at her and clearly indicated that she had been seen and it was coming after her.

Backpedaling, Angela kept her eye on the thing approaching her. Her eyes widened when it came through the "doorway" and it was brandishing a whip. The kind of thing found in a video game or someone's imagination. It was dressed like something from a World of Warcraft game and looked equally ugly. She pulled her gun and fired a shot, but it kept on coming.

"Okay. Definitely real, and definitely not something from the usual methods," Angela muttered to herself. She kept walking backwards, keeping an eye on the thing as it advanced. It cracked its whip and she could see the barbs at the end of it.

Angela tried shooting it again since she alternated silver and iron rounds in her guns. It didn't faze the thing at all. It just seemed to make it mad since it roared at her and started moving faster. She responded by turning and running towards the church. "Definitely, real," she clarified as she ran and leapt up the stairs.

At the door, she turned to see the thing charging at her. She gave a slight twist of her head as she twisted the knobs to open the doors. She pushed on them and fell into the church. She turned and saw the thing almost there. With a kick, she shut the door just as it rammed its head onto it. It tried to break in, but she pushed on the doors with her feet until the striker locked into place.

The scratching and pointing on the door had Angela roll her eyes as she got to her feet. "Sounds like fricking Jurassic Park," she muttered. She looked at the doors rattled from being pounded on. She could hear the whip lash on the door. She could hear it scream in frustration trying to get in.

Angela looked around for something to shore up the door just in case. She managed to move a pew to keep the doors from being broken into. She wasn't taking any chances since that thing was still pounding on the doors. Plus, she needed time to look for the dream queen. If she was still here. She highly doubted that she would leave, but she was not like her brother.

Taking a breath, Angela put her hands on her hips and looked around. Looking at the inside of the church, her eyes lighted on the altar. She looked at the altar and muttered a prayer and bowed her head in respect before starting to walk forward. It sounded funny, but she still had respect for the sacred. In the end, when all else fails, it was the thing that could save you.

The church was dark, and it felt dank. It was an odd feeling, but it fit with everything else that was happening in this town and Angela wasn't taking any chances. She held her gun out in a ready position. She inched forward, checking both sides as she looked for the dream queen. She evened her breathing as she managed to make her way to the altar and started to poke her way to the sacristy. She took her time and it paid off when she heard something. It was a low thump and it was in the opposite direction of where she was heading.

Frowning, she headed back towards the doors when she heard it again. This time it was coming from the confessional. It was odd since confession was more of a Catholic thing, but it was good for the soul. The Bible did call for confessing your sins before the Lord. Right now, there was something there and it wasn't a person asking forgiveness.

Holding her gun up, she put her hand on the door for the confessor and opened it. There was nothing there. She then moved to where the priest would sit and opened it. Again, there was nothing, causing her to frown. She relaxed a little and lowered her gun a little. She moved her finger off the trigger and straightened up.

When she turned, there was a woman there when there had been previously no one. Angela was not prone to screaming. She did let out a yelp of surprise. It was enough to have the woman yell in surprise and she fell backwards onto the floor. Angela took a couple of breaths still holding her gun while getting a good look. Her expression turned into relief and annoyance, "Penelope?"

"The falcon has come."

Angela sighed and rolled her eyes slightly at that. She put the gun in her left hand and extended her right to help up the woman, whom she knew to be the dream queen. "What are you doing here in the waking world?"

"They are coming," Penelope said as she stood up. Her expression was wide eyed as she looked at Angela. "The falcon can save us."

"Penelope…"

There was a crash. Angela turned to look and saw that the doors had been busted open. The pew that had been used as a stopper was flung aside like it was nothing. The doors had been splintered. There was a luminous shadow in the doorway. It was huge, and it looked pissed.

Angela glanced at Penelope who was looking at the shadow as she said, "They are here."

* * *

 **A/N:** The gang arrives in Bomont and Angie gets the idea to wander off on her own. Looks like she might have bit off more than she could chew. Stay tuned for next time on Sandman...


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Sonofabitch!"

"Dean just calm down." Sam felt like an idiot as he stared at the bathroom door. He sighed as he looked down at his toes and then back on the door. He knew his brother was pissed and he didn't blame him. It also didn't help that he wasn't freaking out like he was.

When Sam woke up that morning to find Angela's side empty, all he did was sigh and he offered a silent prayer that she was okay and that she was being careful. He didn't have the visceral reaction that seemed to be expected of him because of his track record of getting near hysterical at something like this. The question came down to how he was going to explain that there were certain things he could pick up on that contributed to his 'mellowness'.

There was also the added bonus that she left them a note. That was another reason why he wasn't in a panic. She explained her reasons enough and while he was disappointed that she couldn't wait until morning, he understood her reasoning. In his mind she was only doing the first thing he asked of her when they started working together.

The whole thing had Dean in a funk and pissed almost beyond reason. Sam tried to be the peacemaker, but Dean wasn't having it. After Sam took his morning shower, Dean locked himself in and took to cursing when he felt like it. It was where they were at now. Sam had been standing at the door for the last ten minutes trying to reason with his brother. "Dean?"

"Go away, Sam."

The tone was a warning, that he was going to throw a punch if he wasn't given his space. Sam ignored the warning and knocked, "Dean, it's not like she left us." He looked downward, "She can't. Not now."

The sound of the knob turning had Sam stand back a little and he tensed, waiting for the 'moment of truth' and it had him antsy. His mind wen back to the voicemail that he still had on his phone. He opened his mouth and let out a hiss of breath as the door opened and Dean came out and the look on his face was not pleasant. It was safe to say that Dean was pissed.

Sam shuffled a bit uneasily on his feet but maintained his composure. He looked at his brother and repeated, "She didn't leave us. She didn't leave me."

"And what do you call this?"

Sam blinked. He knew Dean was only angry because he was worried, and he was the one that had been on the receiving end of Angela freaking out and lashing out. Sam had received a few freak outs as well. He had been more discrete about it, but he got it. He took a breath and calmly said, "Dean, she's not gone. She's on the case. She just… couldn't let it go. That should tell us something."

"What? That she doesn't trust us to have her back?"

"It's not that at all," Sam countered as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You know as well as me that she trusts us. This is just something she needs to see and she's working things out."

"This is not the job to be doing that."

"I think it is."

They stared at each other in silence. Both thought they were right and probably they were. They were just seeing it differently. Sam was the first to say something, "Look. She kept looking at the church. Let's just go check it out."

Dean had a few choice words but resisted saying anything. He nodded in agreement, "Alright." He picked up his jacket and his gun, adding, "You better be right about this."

Sam heard the warning and huffed in annoyance. It wasn't that Dean was trying to be controlling. It was concern and Angela's actions were along a similar vein to what he did when he broke the last seal. It was a sore spot and Dean had a tendency to forget that there were things Angela did before she met them and when it caught up, there was a lot of baggage that was personal for her. He didn't say anything but followed Dean with Zeppelin and Moira in tow.

The church wasn't far, and Dean decided to leave the car at the motel. Besides, if there was anything strange going on, it was better to have their arsenal out and ready and they would be able to alert them if something supernatural or even human in general popped out. Sam stayed behind Dean and looked around as they made their way to the church.

The church looked like it had been broken into. The door had been kicked in and there was damage to a few of the pews in the back. From the look of things, people hadn't noticed yet what was going on. Dean walked into the church while Sam lingered at the door. The door held his interest and he examined it. Dean walked inward and looked around. He had been in a church before and to him it was just another building. He really didn't believe God was a part of the picture.

Looking around, Dean frowned at how the pews had been shoved aside, like it created an arc from the doorway in. He studied it and came to the widest point. It was there that he saw a sight that he hoped he didn't have to see. It was a large quantity of blood and it didn't look good. He kneeled to take a closer look and to make sure that it was blood. He ran his finger through puddle.

It was still tacky, and Dean resisted trying to throw up. He put a hand on Zeppelin. The dog was sniffing the pool and then looking around, sniffing. Rubbing his first finger and thumb together, Dean could tell that they were dealing with blood. He swallowed and said, "I got blood."

When Sam didn't respond, Dean shifted to look around, calling, "Sam?"

Turning towards the door, he saw that Sam was nowhere near. He resisted growling and straightened up and looked around. Sam was nowhere to be seen. "Sam!"

Dean tried to keep his emotions at bay as he looked around. He didn't want to think the worst and that Sam had been taken. The problem was that Zeppelin wasn't acting like there was anything wrong. He whined a little, but he followed Dean's lead and sniffed around while he called for his brother. He also pulled out his gun just to make sure that they weren't going to run into anything.

Dean started from the door and moved inward to the church. He was near the sacristy when he got the scare of his life, "Dean."

Abruptly turning, Dean pointed his gun to find Sam. "Sonofabitch, Sam!"

"Sorry," Sam apologized as if he just hadn't come face to face with the business end of a gun. "Uh, I didn't find Angie, but I found him." He gestured behind him.

Dean lowered his gun, annoyed that Sam wasn't fazed by the fact that he just had a gun pointed at him. He peered behind his brother to see a man. A priest. He rolled his eyes and countered, "Great, you found a priest. That is obvious."

Sam frowned at Dean, "He knows something." He made slight gesture with his eyes, begging Dean to at least be reasonable and listen. It turned into a firm look when Dean looked at him like he was a crazy person.

Dean took in Sam's expression and sighed, "Fine. What is it?" He turned back towards the main hall. "Better yet, does he have any idea what the hell happened in here?" He wasn't going to bother with language. It wasn't like he had been careful about it before in front of anyone that was related to God.

Sam sighed and shot a look at Dean before turning to the priest. "Father Roussel, do you know what happened here?"

"Until now, they have not come to this place." Father Roussel sat on an overturned pew. He looked around at the mess. "But I couldn't just leave her there." He shook his head as if trying to clear the confusion.

"Who?"

"The girl. So innocent." Roussel shook his head. "She called for the woman. The woman with the eyes of the hawk. She looked like she belonged to a time long ago."

Sam listened to the priest and glanced at Dean. They suspected that the priest was talking about Angela. Sam thought it to be so mostly because sometimes she looked her true age. It usually was when she was remembering a time long gone. He asked, "Eyes of a hawk?"

"The girl called her the falcon."

"A girl?"

Dean had stepped forward. This was getting crazy even for him. The priest seemed to be rambling and, not being a patient man, he groused, "Padre, you have a name?"

"Penelope."

Dean sighed and shot a look at Sam. He was about to say something when something pounded in the main room. There were some loud thumps and clumps and it didn't sound like the local cops. Dean looked at Sam in alarm and his brother shrugged but didn't hesitate to pull out his gun. Sam followed suit and motioned to Moira, "Stay, girl."

Dean took point as he moved back towards the main hall. Zeppelin was just ahead, and his ears were pulled back and his teeth bared. He growled low in his throat, telling Dean that it wasn't civilians but something that could probably tear him apart. The noise was also a pretty good indicator. Turning around, he signaled to Sam.

Sam nodded and moved to a flanking position to cover. He held his gun up and nodded. Dean nodded to make a move when something loud startled them both. Dean was the first whirl around and was ready to fire only to find Father Roussel behind them. At least he wasn't scared, but he did look out of place as he was holding something that probably wouldn't help except to make whatever it was pissed.

"Sorry. I thought I could help."

Dean would have said something, but something crashed through the wall, grabbed him and pulled him through. Zeppelin charged forward and followed, baring his teeth. The sudden movement was enough to stun Sam and he hesitated slightly before following, "Dean!"

Sam followed through the large hole that Dean disappeared through with Zeppelin. When he got through, there was no sign of Dean. It was like he disappeared. He didn't see any sign of them. He whirled around as Moira came out and barked. "Dean? Dean!"

Sam tried not to panic. There was no way that Dean would just disappear. Moira was barking in alarm. His brother and his dog were nowhere in sight. He sighed as he looked around, feeling helpless until his gaze lit on Father Roussel. The priest was looking at the scene with a bland expression as he walked through the hole.

Father Roussel looked at the ground that Sam was standing on and then at Sam. He looked at Sam and said, "It is as the girl said to the woman, they are coming. The worlds are merging."

Sam looked at the priest. A part of him wanted to think like Dean in that the priest was talking nonsense. Yet what he just seen… He looked around and at Moira. She was pawing the ground, near him and whining and yipping. Something was going on and it took his brother and he had no idea where Angela was.

* * *

His body was sore, but Dean was used to being tossed around on the job. What he wasn't used to was the wetness on his face. He wrinkled his nose and was rewarded with a tongue on his mouth and he sputtered, "Ah Zep."

Zeppelin whined and continued to lick his master's face. Dean groaned as he pushed the dog away. It was hard because Zeppelin had grown larger and he was also in a precursor to hell hound mode. It made him abnormally large and heavy when he put his full weight on you. So, when Dean pushed his dog, he barely shuffled aside.

It took Dean a moment to realize that Zeppelin was hovering because he was protecting him. And it was for good reason. As he sat up, he could see the thing that dragged him through. It looked like something out of a movie. It was not any creature that he had seen before and he had no idea what to do about it. The only thing that he had was his gun. It was better than nothing and he had Zeppelin, but he was at a loss for what to do.

Looking around, he saw Sam standing next to him. He looked up at his brother and called to him, "Sam?"

Sam didn't budge. Dean didn't get it. He was right there next to him. He saw the sissy runt pawing the ground near him. "Sam!"

Sam didn't turn. It was like he couldn't hear him and it frustrated Dean, "Sonofabitch."

His talking did catch the attention of the thing that grabbed him. It turned around and noticed him awake and up and it growled. It wasn't looking happy as it rounded on Dean. It gave a roar, enough for Zeppelin to jump in his tracks a little.

Dean got to his feet since he knew he was going to have to run at some point. The thing roared at him and it allowed him to get a good look. He had to say that it was one ugly thing. And it wasn't looking good for him or his dog. He took a step back and said, "Zep, I don't think we're gonna win this one."

The thing roared again and started to charge at him. Dean took a couple of steps backwards and then turned to run. "Oh. Go, Zep. Run!"

It was probably the dumbest thing to do since he knew that when it came to a wild animal, you turn your back, you invited a chase. He remembered the whole thing at Ruby Valley with Roman and that other mad werewolf. At this point he didn't care since he didn't know what that thing was, and it looked like it wanted to beat the tar out of him or worse. So, he was running and hoping he'd find something to help lose whatever that thing was.

The pounding he could feel under his feet as he ran away. He was so focused on running that he almost didn't notice that the scenery was different. He could see parts of the town, but it looked blurry, like it was covered with a tarp or something. That didn't matter now since he had a larger problem. He bent low to swat Zeppelin's rear, "Come on, boy. Go!"

Dean risked a peek behind him and saw that the thing was still after him and it looked like it was closer than before. It spurred him to go faster since he wasn't anxious to be caught by that thing. He made a turn. He didn't realize that it was a steep drop and when he put his foot down, he slipped and fell. He rolled down the hill grunting. He tried to stop himself, but he only seemed to roll down faster as he flailed his limbs.

Zeppelin ran down the hill with him. His rear slipped, and it slid down the hill. He was able to steady himself as he followed his hunter. He whined a little but didn't cry out. He kept up until Dean came to a stop at the base after hitting something. It looked like it was an old shack, but Dean didn't care since he had slammed into it on his back.

Dean groaned from the impact and rolled to his side. He felt Zeppelin nuzzle him before the dog turned and started growling. He winced and looked up to see whatever it was had made its way down. He rolled his eyes at the thought that the big ugly thing managed to make it down without falling like he did and was almost on top of him. He looked to see Zeppelin ready to charge. "Zep, no!"

Zeppelin growled and snarled at the thing that roared at them. He charged when the thing started to strike and leapt up. His powerful jaws latched onto the forearm and he held tight. The creature roared in pain as it tried to shake the hell pup loose and it allowed Dean to get to his feet. That didn't give him many options on how to deal with the thing.

The only thing that Dean could think of was to shoot it. The problem was that he was afraid of hitting his dog. He was fond of the mutt; they were partners. Still, he didn't have much of a choice. He raised his gun and aimed. He tracked the target while shouting, "Zep, down!"

Zeppelin didn't like to let go of a target especially if it wasn't taken down. He had been bred though to follow complex orders and he had chosen his alpha. He obeyed Dean's orders without question. So, he did what he had been trained to do. He let go of the target and bounced away and it allowed Dean to have a clear shot.

Not sure of where to aim, Dean took the obvious. He went for center mass and emptied his clip into the thing. He knew he hit it since the thing roared in pain. The problem was that it didn't go down. Rather it seemed to make the thing angrier. Dean took a step back and pulled out another clip. One thing he learned when learning how to hunt and all those years with Angela by his and Sam's side was to max out on your ammo. It went in line with the mantra of always being prepared.

In this case, it helped but Dean was certain that he wasn't going to get very far. This ugly thing of a monster was huge, and it was out for blood and it was pissed at him now. Running would probably be an option, but since he already fired upon the monster… He loaded a new clip and brought it up, but by the time he had it level, the thing took a swipe at him and knocked it away and tearing a nice gash in his arm, forcing him to stumble back since a second swipe was coming and he had no way of defending himself except to duck and roll.

The second swipe was coming, but it never hit its target. Zeppelin had defaulted to his protective mode. It was a sort of standing order and a thing that all Wilders did; they protected their hunters. He leapt at the limb aiming for Dean and latched onto it. The momentum actually threw the thing off balance and it collapsed on its back since Zeppelin was the counterweight. It also helped that he full on morphed into a hell hound making him into a huge beast that was not going down without a fight.

Dean had rolled out of the way and got a clear view of Zeppelin morphing in mid air as he latched onto the monster's limb and used the weight to pull it down. Clutching his injured arm, Dean couldn't help but grin and say, "Nice. Good boy."

Zeppelin was in the zone and was snarling as he jerked his head hard to the side while his powerful jaws remained clamped onto the arm. He pulled and yanked causing flesh to tear and the monster roared in pain. He was going to take this thing down. It wasn't to last though.

Somehow, the monster managed to bring its other arm around and grab Zeppelin by his midsection and pull him off. It didn't even care that the dog's teeth ripped its flesh. Without further thought, it flung Zeppelin and the dog crashed into a tree. Dean heard him yelp in pain and called out, "Zep!"

The monster roared, and Dean turned his attention to it. He had no weapon and he was injured. Running was still an option, but he wouldn't leave his buddy behind. He always said that he was going to go down swinging. He just didn't figure that it would be like this. He looked around for a makeshift weapon as the thin advanced towards him. "Alright you ugly sonofabitch. I'm right here."

The monster roared and was going to deliver a killing blow when it jerked. Dean blinked and watched as the thing jerked again and turned. He could see what looked like arrows or a spear sticking out of its back. Then from his right came a flying blur and it landed on the monster's back to drive two blades, making it roar.

That didn't stop his rescuer from climbing up and driving another blade into the skull. The creature gave a dull moan and stumbled forward a couple of steps before pitching forward and dying. Dean barely managed to get clear since he wasn't anxious to be squashed by a monster. He wasn't willing to hear a conversation about stupidity from Angela regarding that.

Taking deep breaths, Dean was able to calm down. It was also when he really felt the pain and winced. He hissed when he took a look at it and noticed how deep they looked. He was definitely going to need stitches and he moaned in annoyance at that. He then moaned, "And this was my favorite jacket."

Forgetting about his rescuer, his attention turned to where he saw Zeppelin land. Wincing, Dean took off in that direction. He had to make sure that his buddy was okay. At least okay enough to walk. He didn't know what he was going to do if he was hurt bad. "Zep!"

It didn't take long to find Zeppelin. By then he had returned to his normal size. A good thing if there was anyone else around, not that it mattered. Zeppelin was lying on his side panting heavily and it had Dean suspect that something was wrong when he found him. Walking slowly, Dean held out his hand, "Hey boy. You okay?"

Zeppelin lifted his head and started licking Dean's hand whimpering in pain. Dean kneeled by his dog and gently put his hand on the body. He could hear the whine and saw a few gashes. They were scratched, superficial. What Dean feared the worst was on the inside of the dog. He tried to remember what he had been taught when to assess for injuries. He murmured, "It's okay boy. You did good."

Zeppelin laid there and let Dean look him over. Dean couldn't find anything seriously wrong, but he knew Zeppelin wasn't going to move on his own steam for a while. He found a sprain in one leg and he was certain there were bruises all over. He did find one gash that wasn't just a scratch, but it wasn't serious as in deathly serious either.

Dean was stuck. He was injured, Zeppelin was injured, and he had no way of getting either of them to some place that was recognizable to get help. And he still couldn't understand why Sam couldn't see him. Sighing he looked down at the dog and rubbed his ears. "I think were in trouble, Zep. I have no idea where we are."

Dean looked up and around. He sighed, "I'm good with camping but not like this. Gotta get you somewhere safe." He looked at his arm.

It was going to be a bad idea if he tried to carry his dog without dressing and stabilizing his wound. He needed stitches and he could aggravate it much like Angela did hers when she and Sam had been stuck at Cold Oak. It had scared him then and since he tried to be reasonable with his injuries when he had to be treated. He was seeing no other choice though so the best he could do was to shore up his arm and get Zeppelin to the shack. It was better than nothing.

A snap caught his attention and Zeppelin lifted his head and let out a low growl. Dean looked around and checked his pockets. The only other thing that he had was his knife and he wasn't up to trying to use it on something that was anything like that whatever it was that chased him. Like everything else, it was better than nothing and he held it ready to use in his good hand. He patted Zeppelin to tell him it was okay and to stay there. Like the dog was moving anywhere but Dean wasn't taking chances with a dog that could potentially reinterpret orders he had been given.

Standing up, Dean listened to the foliage and started moving. He didn't scare easily, and the ghost sickness didn't count, but he was alert despite the pain he was in. He walked forward, checking what was in front of him.

It came from behind and he reacted the moment his shoulder was tapped. He whirled and swung out the knife to find his arm grabbed and was yanked forward. He hit the dirt on his back, feeling a little winded but he got back up and was ready to defend himself. It was the guy that killed the monster, but Dean wasn't going to let him get the drop on him.

It turned into a scuffle as they rolled around in the dirt. He did manage to kick the other guy away and retrieve his knife. He was going in for the kill when he felt it and came to a dead stop. He felt the tip of a blade on his neck right near where it could be fatal. He held his arms up and steady and turned to look and found himself staring at young guy that looked suspiciously like the guy that checked them into the motel. Dean frowned at that. What the hell was going on?

* * *

 **A/N:** Sam and Dean follow Angie to the church and end up separated and it looks like its going to be world of weird. Stay tuned for next time on Sandman...


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Sorry about the mix-up. Just had to be sure you were real and not… fake one."

Dean was frowning as he rubbed his arm where he had been patched up. He hadn't been wrong when the guy who pulled a sword on him was the same guy that checked him, Sam and Angela into their motel room. He grumbled, "Could've said something when we checked in."

"Before now, the changes hadn't affected the motel. Still don't." The owner shrugged as he looked at the door he had brought Dean through. "But out there… Sometimes I walk out into town. Sometimes it's woods…" He looked at Dean and offered, "I'm Walter."

Dean checked his bandage and looked at his rescuer, "Dean."

Walter nodded as he looked up when a loud noise sounded. He walked to the window to take a look. "Still can't see but it's there."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It's like town is divided and when you move into another section, you disappear but are still there."

Dean thought about it. That was what happened with Sam. He was right there in the ground next to him, but his brother couldn't see him. "Same thing happened at the church. That… whatever it was…"

"A troll."

Dean paused and turned at the interruption. "A what?"

A girl came out holding a rifle. She had a thick braid over her left shoulder as she handed the rifle to Walter. "A troll," she repeated.

Dean didn't know what to think about that. The thing had been ugly and now it had a name. He went with it, "Well that troll grabbed me from the church and I ended up… no idea."

"It crossed over?" The girl looked at him with a serious expression.

Dean raised his brow. He though that she was taking it way to seriously for a civilian and it occurred to him that she and Walter might be hunters, but that seemed a bit farfetched. They were more like trying to survive whatever is that was going on in town. "It wasn't there when me and my brother went looking for someone. Then next minute I'm grabbed and…" He made a gesture.

"Did you see how?"

"Dana." Walter shook his head in warning.

Dean picked up on it. He patted Zeppelin to let him know that it was okay. The dog made a pretty good recovery. He just needed the time to regain his footing. He stood up, "Look, you don't need to hide anything from me. This is what I do. My brother and me with his girl."

Walter looked at Dean, "You know what is going on?"

Dean tried to cover, "Not exactly. We came to find out what it is and then stop it."

"So, you don't know either?" Dana scoffed at that. She made a snort through her nose and turned away. "What good are you?"

Dean would have answered but decided not to. He was often told he was brash in his response. Now he sensed that he was going to have to give a little to Walter and this girl. He turned towards Walter when the man said, "Forgive my niece. She has friends out there and things seem to have gotten worse."

Dean waved it off, "It's okay."

Walter nodded, "Thank you."

"So, what exactly has been going on?"

It was best to get into the job. Even though Sam wasn't there, Dean knew that his brother was working on fixing this and he trusted that Angela was doing the same thing, wherever she was. He just had to put the worry aside and get the job done.

Walter got it and nodded, "As I said, more recent developments are that you could be walking and then disappear but not disappear."

"That happened at the church."

"Do you have any idea what is going on?"

Dean shook his head, "No." _But Angie seemed to have an idea. Where are you?_

"Any ideas where to start?"

"Go back out. Find my brother." Dean shrugged his shoulders. "Sam would probably have figured it out something. If not him, Angie would have."

"But you can't go out there. Not alone."

Dean checked his gear. It looked like his stuff was accounted for and there was more in the room. He left the main office and headed towards his room with Zeppelin on his heels. He hesitated when he saw the door open. He hissed, "Zep, seek."

Zeppelin rumbled as he grew larger and growled. There was definitely something in their room. The Wilder took the lead and Dean followed. Zeppelin charged in and Dean followed, pointing his weapon only to be caught with a blow that knocked him backwards. He landed hard on the pavement, winding him. He grunted and wriggled to try and get to his feet. "Zep!"

Zeppelin was barking, but otherwise sounded like he wasn't hurt. Dean looked back into the room and blinked at what he saw. There was a woman there. She looked lost, but also had that vibe that you didn't want to mess with her. She was dressed in civilian clothes. Dean propped himself on his elbows and looked at her, "Who are you?"

The woman seemed distracted as she looked around. When Dean spoke, she looked at him and stared at him. Her eyes seemed to take on a glowing hue as she looked at him. "The kin to the falcon."

Dean frowned at that as he managed to get to his feet. It was then he saw the motel flicker behind the woman. He could see Walter coming out but frowning in confusion. At one point he was looking at Dean, but it was like he couldn't see him. Dean realized that it was happening again and turned back towards the woman.

She was much closer than last time. She was like toe to toe with him and it caused him to jump how she managed to get that close. The only person he knew that could do that was Angela and she did it to prank and sometimes to scare and make a point. He felt his throat convulse but was rooted to the spot. He watched as she looked at him.

He backed away half a step when she reached out with her hand. "Whoa, I only do that on the second date."

It was meant as a joke, but the woman didn't see it that way. She hesitated and then stuck her hand out until it cupped the side of Dean's face, causing him to gasp. He tried to get out of her grasp, but he felt rooted to the spot. It was over really quick as she took a step back and looked at him, repeating, "The kin to the falcon, brother of the eagle."

Dean had heard pretty strange stuff, and this seemed to top everything that they had ever seen and heard. Still, he was a little speechless and clueless on what to do and could only stammer, "Uh… I get that you're not… normal…"

There was a loud sound that sounded almost like a roar. Dean turned in the direction of it and nearly rolled his eyes. "You gotta be kidding me. Not that thing again."

"The realms are merging. Dream and reality."

Dean looked at the woman. She was starting to look a little scared. Her face seemed to pale a little. He realized that he was going to have to take her into consideration and protect her. He tempered his voice as best as he could and said, "Look, lady. I know that this might be scary for you, but we got a problem. Can you let my dog go? He'll behave."

The woman looked at him. Dean thought she understood him, but he felt like a dunce when she gave him a blank look. It caused him to look closer and he realized she was looking right through him. Or she wasn't seeing him at all. He blinked when she looked blankly at him and then turned towards his dog. _Great. I'm stuck with clueless._

He blinked when she splayed her hand out and glowed slightly. Zeppelin shook his fur and trotted out of his prison. He trotted up to the woman and panted happily. To Dean's horror, she reached down and petted him and rubbed his ears. The only other being that wasn't family or friend that did that was Death. Now it was happening again, and he couldn't help but mutter, "Traitor."

There wasn't much time to snort at Zeppelin's making a new friend. Dean watched as the dog picked up his ears and turned in the direction behind Dean and started to growl. The dog rumbled low in his throat and grew larger. He wasn't like Moira who looked like the worst thing from hell when she was pissed, but he was just as scary when he got on the trail.

Dean turned and blinked when he saw the… he had no idea what it was. It was the ugliest thing he had ever seen, and he had seen a lot. Zeppelin was growing and in his hell hound glory and injuries be damned. Dean knew that his dog would fight this being and it would be to the death if necessary. Dean swallowed as he looked at the thing in front of him.

"He's here," Penelope said.

Dean rolled his eyes slightly, "Nice warning."

"The one to open the gate and now charges through. The gates are open, and the realms are merging."

"I've been looking for you." The monster stepped forward towards the pair. His outstretched towards the girl. "She wants her."

Dean shook his head, "I don't think so." He pulled his gun, thankful he managed to grab it before all this shit happened again. He pointed it at him.

"You think that will do you any good?"

Dean shrugged and fired off a shot. He hit the thing, but it didn't go down. He fired again but nothing happened. Zeppelin growled and charged forth. It distracted Dean and he shouted, "Zep, no!"

A bright light appeared and then an explosion happened. It was powerful enough to knock Dean backwards along with the girl and his dog. He hit the dirt feeling winded from it. He grimaced and looked up to see the ugly guy standing there and next to him was… "You got to be fucking killing me!"

It was definitely a word of weird when he saw what looked like a tank. At least he thought that's what it was coming into view with a smoking gun. He stumbled to his feet and saw that Penelope was on the ground. Zeppelin was okay and whining as he nosed her. Dean stumbled as he checked to make sure that he still had a weapon. Like that was going to help. Still…

"Hand over the queen of the realm and this will all be over."

"I highly doubt that," Dean replied as he lifted his gun. He was seriously going to get himself killed. "Not gonna let ya."

"You and what army?"

Dean stuttered a moment. He pointed at Zeppelin as he was moving into position. "Me and… my dog."

The ugly dude looked at Dean and the dog and then at the tank. There was no expression on his face as he looked at the ridiculousness of the situation. "You won't win this. Just hand over the queen."

Dean shifted and stood at the ready. "No way." He knew that he had a snowball's chance, but he had a job to do.

The ugly guy sighed and replied, "Then…"

"No."

Dean turned to see the girl Penelope standing. She still had that innocent lost look, but there was something more to it and it was sending shivers up his spine. He hadn't had that feeling since the day he first saw Angela get all vamped out. Complete vamp out. The girl was glowing, and she was looking at the ugly guy and his tank.

"The brother to the falcon will not be harmed," Penelope said as she pressed her hand forward and a bright glow of light that emitted and headed towards the ugly guy and his tank.

* * *

Sam sat on one of the overturned pews and tried to think things through. Moira was still sniffing around and whining. He was trying to reconcile what he had just seen and what Father Roussel told him about the girl and what he had seen. It was way over the top at the moment and he had an extreme longing for Angela. He just had to know that she was okay.

Taking a breath, he looked at the priest who was sipping a cup of tea that he managed to find and asked, "So, did you see the woman that the girl talked to?"

"I did. And she was very polite despite the urgency." Father Roussel took a sip of tea. As much as he was freaked out by the entire thing, he was feeling pretty calm. Mostly because he had a young soul who was trying to help but dealing with something that was pressing and deep down. "She came in looking for the girl Penelope. They seemed to know each other."

Sam gave a slight toss of his head, "Yeah. I think they do."

"A friend?"

Sam thought about how to answer that one. The priest seemed to have been taking things well with all that he'd seen, but there was a point where it was too much. How could he explain that the girl he was helping was actually a goddess and his girlfriend/mate was a half human, half vampire? It was enough to drive anyone insane.

Father Roussel looked at Sam and decided to say, "I did see a vision of sorts. If what you have to say is strange like that…"

"Uh… I don't think…" Sam pursed his lips. He stood up looked around the place. He could stay there, but it seemed clear that Angela had moved on and Dean disappeared. So, the best option was to go back out there and look for them and try to figure out what to do about the craziness.

Father Roussel watched Sam and set his cup of tea down, "I don't know the details but I do know that something is going on. Things that are best left to the imagination are coming to life. This is just the first time this has happened."

Sam didn't get it either, but he knew that it had to do with dreams. Angela said her dreams and nightmares felt real, different from how they were supposed to be. He wasn't a stranger to things becoming real, like the fairytales and she always said that some things of myth had reality in them. Hell, he and Dean both thought she was crazy when she said in an offhand manner that Atlantis was real and that she had hung out with famous people from history. The best was that she was there for the signing of the Declaration of Independence since how she managed to convince them to let a woman be present…

This though, he was getting the feeling that the whole thing with the dream queen, or Penelope, was the key to it and since she disappeared and Dean disappeared, there was only one thing left to do. He looked at the priest and said, "Well uh… my… my mate mentioned something about the Greek god of dreams and…" He paused to look at the reaction.

"You mean Morpheus." At the look he was getting, Father Roussel explained, "I wasn't always a priest. I studied mythology."

Sam blinked at that and nodded, "Ok. Anyway, Morpheus… he knows my mate really well and I think he is in trouble. Which is why we're here. He reached out to her and… we got this."

Father Roussel listened. He was curious about Sam's choices in words, but he was astute enough to know that kind of thing was only explored based on trust. Right now, it was baby steps. He nodded, "Ok. So… what are you going to do? The whole town is affected. Some parts look normal and others… what you just saw."

Sam picked up his weapon and checked it. He looked around and then at Moira who was waiting for orders. "Well, look for my brother and my mate. We came to do a job and that girl Penelope is a part of it."

Father Roussel put his cup of tea aside and moved to join him, "Alright."

Sam raised his brow, "You're coming?"

"Might as well."

Sam accepted that. It was probably better than having the priest wander on his own. Besides, the things that attacked were not the usual supernatural creatures repulsed by anything holy. They did charge into the church. He nodded, "Okay," and signaled Moira to head out.

Father Roussel followed Sam as Moira led the way out. He watched as the dog sniffed around where she had pawed the ground previously and gave a slight whine. He followed along silently as they walked through town. It was bothersome that they hadn't seen a single soul and there were more than a hundred people living in town.

Sam sensed that there was something off about the fact that there was no one visible on the streets. Moira was alert too and looking around. She whimpered but mostly because she was picking up on something and she was unfamiliar with it. It had Sam antsy and a bit anxious. He tried not to think worst case scenario since Dean was probably trying to navigate the town and the whatever it was doing with his dog Xander. Angela… He sighed to himself.

 _Angie, I'm worried. I know why you snuck out but…_

Swallowing slightly, Sam moved to where Moira had stopped. She was sniffing something on the ground. It could mean that she had a hit on something. He hoped that it was his brother or Angela. He put a hand on her shoulders, "Got anything, girl?"

Moira whimpered and woofed as she sniffed the ground. Father Roussel commented, "Looks like she's stuck."

Sam looked at the priest and then his dog. He had to concede that he may be right. "Maybe." He stood up and looked around. He wasn't liking that the town was empty. It reminded him of Cold Oak and he winced slightly as a very faint phantom pain shot up his spine from where he had been stabbed in the back. "Hey, Father Roussel, do you...?"

He had let the question hang in the air, but Father Roussel understood and replied, "There is always someone walking through. This… it's like a ghost town."

"Right."

Sam looked around and glanced at Moira. She was whining but in an agitated manner. She didn't leave him but she was walking around like she was confused. Something was coming and she didn't know what it was. His instincts were telling him that he needed to be alert and ready to fight. He snapped his fingers to get the dog's attention, "Moira, come on. Need you on point. Hunt." It was a simple command and not a traditional one, but it did the trick.

Moira made a slight whimper and her demeanor changed completely. She straightened out and looked around, alert. Her ears lifted to listen and her nose flared as she looked around. Father Roussel watched and to him it seemed that the dog grew in size. He blinked and then brushed it off as the fact that she was changing her position and posture and it was making her look bigger.

Sam looked around, listening, trying not to wince from the prick running up his spine. He thought to himself, _Angie, sure could use some help understanding this._

There was a sound and it had Sam turn in the direction of it. His eyes widened as he saw something that he was certain he had buried a long time ago. He felt his throat swallow as it felt like he was going down memory lane and it would end up being a car wreck. He could feel the urge to take a step back and his heel tapped.

He had nightmares before, and Angela had been nice enough to explain that nightmares were under Morpheus' purview. It was a complicated thing, but one rule was always front and center. Gods never interfered with the workings of the human world. True there were loopholes, but for the most part, they stayed out of it. There were only a few instanced of Morpheus' active involvement and Sam was certain he was doing it now. More likely he was forced into it.

Sam stared at himself looking at him with a smirk. He heard Moira whimper and guessed what she was seeing and smelling were in conflict with each other. He took a couple of breaths as his body tensed when his double stepped towards him. He stood his ground though he really wanted to back up. It was his worst fear looking very real in front of him.

"Interesting how dreams seem real, isn't it?"

Sam looked at his double and noticed how Father Roussel was looking at the situation. Yeah, this was one to explain. Swallowing his fear, he stood his ground and looked upward, "Morpheus. I get it. Come out."

"You want to bring in that party pooper," double Sam said as he took a step forward. "You know that the gods can't interfere. She told us that much."

"Morpheus!" Sam didn't keep his eye off of his double.

"He's not going to help you. In fact, he is… indisposed of at the moment." The double of Sam smirked at Sam. "So, you are on your own. I look forward to a little bit of fun."

Sam knew that he was going to have to stand his ground on this. He had been told that the only thing you had to fear was fear itself. Dreams were as powerful as you made them. He had done dream walking before and managed to get the upper hand, but that was one instance. He wasn't as proficient as Angela, but he knew what it was about. He tensed, ready to fight as he said, "Moira. Civilian."

Moira made a sound and moved to stand in a protective stance over Father Roussel. It made Sam's double chuckle, "Sending a mutt to protect him. You really know nothing about these things." He looked at Sam and narrowed his eyes, "Unless you really think that you can beat me."

"You're here for me," Sam replied with a shrug.

"If she couldn't beat her double, what makes you think that _you_ can?"

Sam stared at his double. The had pointed at him as if to emphasize his abilities. He didn't know if he could take on his double, which was what had been a stopping block to starting his relationship with his mate. He did know that Angela went through it every time the past came back to haunt her. He had to try. He swallowed and stood tall and ready to fight.

The double watched and smirked at him. "I think I'm going to enjoy this."

* * *

 **A/N:** Looks like Dean found the dream queen and Sam is looking for his brother. Where is Angie? Stay tuned for next time on Sandman...


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The popping sounds of rounds echoed through the street. Luckily there weren't actual people around except for a few people who actually lived there. They were running to hide anywhere they could. Angela took in the sights and felt like she was back in the urban warfare zones she had traversed before hooking up with the Winchesters.

It was walking that line of weird since she was seeing things that best belonged in the past. She could tell since she had lived it. It was more like a moment down memory lane. It just seemed so out of place since it was a mixture of modern and the past. There were also a few other things that weren't quite right, and it made sense to everything else that was happening.

She had figured it out the moment Penelope made her appearance as she did and what happened. It was only a matter of time before the church would be overrun. It was and, while it was painful, she took Penelope and ran, knowing that they would leave the priest alone. Even though some of the supernatural were diabolical, most left those that were the intermediaries with the higher ups, meaning God or the gods.

It was like traversing the dream realm. A person who knew how to walk with a fluency like her could walk from dream to dream and it was like passing a barrier, but you could see on the other side. The same thing was happening here. Even Penelope said that the realms were merging, and it was painfully obvious. And it didn't help that Penelope decided to wander off.

Angela was well aware about the balance of things. Morpheus may be in charge of the realm, but it was Penelope that held the world in balance. She could only do that though with certain elements in place. The upside of this was that it seemed to be isolated to this town. The downside was that because she left the boys at the motel, they could be facing a totally different situation.

Sighing, Angela started walking through the streets. She had to find Penelope and keep her safe until the ones responsible were caught and taken care of. Morpheus was in trouble and it occurred to her that was why Penelope was here in the mortal realm. She paused as she looked around.

The street was empty, almost like a ghost town. She saw a few characters that she managed to avoid. Right now, she had to find Sam and Dean and Penelope. A chill went up her spine and she paused. She blinked at the scenery changed into one that was eerily familiar. It was enough to send chills down her spine as the memories came pouring in.

 _The fires were burning the homes. The stench of smoke, blood, and gunpowder was in the air. Burning flesh carried a shroud that stuck to their skin. She turned to see the men of the unit looking around. Some looked green around the gills. Then a sound caught her ears. It was a cry, a wail. A child's wail…_

"Funny how we try to bury memories and yet they become evident in our dreams."

Angela sighed, making it come out in a growl as she opened her eyes. She turned to see the one being that she would love to draw and quarter, castrate and drown in a burning vat of holy oil. Narrowing her eyes, she commanded, "Go away."

Lucifer pouted at her, "Aww, do you have to be like that, sweet cheeks?"

"Don't call me that and go AWAY!" Angela turned and started walking through the section of town that looked like that village in Russia. She huffed while trying to calm herself and to focus on finding Sam and figuring this out.

"Oh you know that I can't do that. I am stuck with you for eternity," Lucifer said as he walked beside her. He had his hands behind his back and walked like he was strolling. "I am the part of you that rationalizes those things that you don't even want to touch."

"Fuck off."

Angela was not one to swear so profusely, but she felt like she was on a short fuse. She paused, gritting her teeth and looking around. She knew that her hallucination of Lucifer wasn't going to go away some time soon. It just made her feel better to tell it off while she was trying to work through it. She looked around, studying a manifestation of the past.

"You know that there is a saying," Lucifer was saying, "That we are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but the responsibility for the future."

"George Bernard Shaw," she replied as she looked at the scenery. She wanted to smirk since it was odd and a bit funny that she was listening to a quote from a man who wrote one of her favorite musicals, _My Fair Lady_. She shifted and looked at Lucifer with a pensive expression. She should be worried that she readily settled into a conversation with a hallucination of the one that caused her suffering and misery. "What do you think is going on?"

Lucifer smirked and shook his finger in a knowing fashion, "See? You really can't live without me." He took in her expression and smirked while giving a sigh, "You know what is going on. You see it in front of you. The signs are there sweetheart. What are you so afraid of?" He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her.

Angela listened to Lucifer, knowing that it wasn't a good idea to embrace this. Yet, it seemed to work in making her nights more rested if not completely. It was one of the things she hid from Sam and she hated it. She looked at the landscape and muttered, "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."

"Pardon?"

Angela looked at Lucifer with a knowing smirk. There were some things that weren't always clear in her head. She replied, "Figure it out." She looked at the landscape.

She did know what was going on. The telling piece was Penelope, the dream queen being present. She could recall what Morpheus used to tell her when he first started teaching her the intricacies of his realm. The checks and balances… the realms the gods oversaw, it was like watching American politics or world politics at work. Staring at the landscape, she closed her eyes to try and recall the lessons the god of dreams imparted to her.

 _Humans are simplistic in their thinking. You know as well as I that things are a lot more complicated. Everything thrives on balance._

 _Which is why the realm of dreams is ruled by Morpheus and his sister Penelope_ , Angela mused. She opened her eyes when she heard the low growl.

She narrowed her eyes and turned slowly around. Behind her was a wolf. Not just any wolf. One of the old world werewolves, meaning full on lupine transformation. She wasn't surprised to see one. She had seen specimens of all three types: lycans, Lupei and modern werewolves. This one she remembered well from her time in Russia.

 _Dreams are as real as you make it. It all goes to confronting what you are afraid to confront when awake._

Angela stared at the wolf, the alpha she had met so long ago. In a low tone she growled, "Kuzma. It's been a long time. I am under the impression that you won't forgive me for everything."

The wolf growled and bared his teeth at her. The rich chocolate brown fur with the blackened ear tips rippled exactly how she remembered. He growled, slobbering his saliva around. Angela's muscles were tense and ready to react, but she didn't move. She stared at the wolf that she knew and wished to see again, but was too ashamed to. Her head cocked slightly to the right when she heard footsteps and she glanced over to see the most hideous being appear. She let out a slight smirk, "I thought you were around."

The being looked at her saying, "The gateway is open and anything these people think of becomes real. Including you."

"They are not real. Not by a longshot."

"They are. To the point that dreams can kill."

The wolf snapped and snarled as if in agreement. Angela stared at the wolf and glanced at the being. The scenery was that of the village where she last encountered Kuzma. Funny thing was that she wasn't directly thinking of it. Another piece of this puzzle.

"You know…" Lucifer mused as he stood behind her, "He is right. Dreams can kill"

"I know that. As I once said to Dean, it's like the Matrix. Die in there, die out here. Learned that the hard way with dream root." Angela spoke low so the being didn't notice. The last thing she wanted was to be outed for talking to herself. Louder, she said, "Physical yes, but not lasting. The dream realm is what the dreamer makes it and they can control it."

"Not if the floodgates have been opened."

"Another piece of the puzzle," Lucifer whispered in her ear. "Come on. When are you going to say it out loud? You and I both know what this guy is."

Angela didn't acknowledge Lucifer's comments. She stared at the being and the wolf. "But you haven't won yet," she voiced out. "Morpheus may be under your control, but you don't have control."

"And there she is."

Angela turned to see a new voice and blinked as she saw a woman come to stand by the being. Her eyes narrowed as she felt the power but there was also a familiar scent to the woman. She remembered it and her nostrils flared slightly from the familiarity. She said, "I should have known. Few beings are able to invade a god's realm and attempt insurgency. How are you, Eve, Mother of All?"

Eve laughed and sobered into a smile, "I always knew you'd be the one to figure things out."

"Nothing wrong with deduction."

"No, I mean it's because of who you are."

Angela sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes. Had she been paying attention, she would have noticed that her hallucination of Lucifer would have been doing the same thing. She was not willing to get into a conversation about her role. The year going against Michael more that drained that fight out of her and she wasn't willing to get into another fight over that. But she wasn't above diplomatic relations. She looked at Eve and replied, "And you should know that the Malachi of Absolution will always be there to 'stem the tide.'" She gave air quotes for emphasis.

Eve started laughing at the reply. She could hardly believe it. There was no way that what she was hearing was true. She shook her head, "You really don't know do you?"

"I know that you are the Mother of All from the place called Purgatory." She stood there looking at Eve. She seemed to have a relaxed position, but she was actually tense and ready for a fight. "I know that I am a half breed vampire that was chosen from all the beings in the world to be the one that stands for humanity. Why, I still wrestle with the question, since I wouldn't pick me. Considering what I did to Kuzma." She gestured at the growling wolf.

"Kuzma?" Eve pondered it a little before getting a look of realization. She held up a finger, "Oh, the pack leader from Russia. You killed most of his pack."

"Not all of them," Angela muttered too low for anyone to hear. She blinked in Eve's direction slowly. Louder she countered, "And it's something that I have managed to leave behind. No one knows the whole truth except those involved. And I haven't dreamed them lately." She looked at the other being next to Eve and Kuzma. "So…"

"Yes, your god of dreams is my prisoner." Eve made a gesture so Angela could see Morpheus bound. "As you can see, he won't be able to move. But nothing is moving as I planned. Where is Penelope?"

"And there it is," Lucifer jeered, "Now I know you're not going to give up the only thing keeping totally anarchy from happening. That is so not like you sweet cheeks."

Angela blinked slowly as she looked at Eve and the being with her. She heard Lucifer in her ear, and she knew what she was going to do. She shook her head slowly, "I don't know what you're talking about, Eve."

"Don't lie," Eve growled just as Kuzma did.

"And I am telling you, I don't know what you're talking about," Angela repeated firmly. She looked full on at her opposition. She was outnumbered, but she had worse. She narrowed her eyes, her breathing controlled as she assessed her options.

Eve sighed and looked bored. "I guess this is going to be the hard way." She made a gesture.

Angela looked at the slightest movement and found the ugliest being coming at her. Her reaction was like always when someone tried to throw a punch with the intent to kill. She sidestepped and brought her hands up, but they were glowing, and not like how the Winchesters would have recognized it. She backed into a fighting stance, her hands splayed letting the light emerge in the form of sigils.

"Give us the queen," the being said as he signaled the wolf to come forward, "Or worse will come."

Angela maneuvered her arms and hands in the manner Master Ru had taught her. Her eyes were narrowed as she prepared to fight. She took in the situation and she wanted to beat herself up, but she actually opened up to listening to Lucifer since he was still there.

"You are outnumbered. What is that number one rule you taught Sam and Dean?"

Angela knew exactly what Lucifer was speaking of. At the moment, she could see it as an option, but it was the wrong one. She took a breath and shook her head, "No. You will not have her."

"I am sorry."

Angela twisted her head. She was ready when Kuzma leap forward with his mouth slavering. She vamped out and bared her own fangs, ready to meet the bounding mass of fur. She charged forward to meet the charge head on with a roar in her own throat.

* * *

Sam hit the dirt hard and wriggled his jaw. He knew he could pack a punch. It was just different when you felt your own strength being used against you. He glanced over at his double who was standing there, smirking at him and he slowly clambered to his feet. It was probably stupid, but was there really any choice?

His double was part of a recurring nightmare that increased with frequency when he started realizing his feelings for Angela. It was rooted in a fear that he had ever since meeting her, that he would be responsible for the loss of someone that the world needed more than him. It wasn't evident at first, but as they continued to work with each other and everything that followed, Sam held the belief that either his brother, or mostly him, would be the cause of something happening to her, and more likely it would be in death. It terrorized him; he couldn't contemplate the thought of losing her. He could have walked away, but he chose not to. He was in this fight despite the risks because he loved her.

This was just the worst nightmare coming to life thing. Now he understood better how Angela felt seeing her worst self in that dreamscape thing. He looked at his double. It was a culmination of all the mistakes he had made, especially the ones that hurt his brother and her. His double shook his head and asked, "You've had enough?"

Sam stood there and shook his hands out. He had the option to run. It was probably the best since Father Roussel was still there, not sure of whether or not to help. Moira wasn't moving since she was under orders from Sam to look after the priest. She was whimpering because she saw her hunter in trouble and yet she couldn't do anything. Sam wasn't going to put him in a position to get himself killed. He stared at his double and replied, "What do you want?"

"Nothing except what you already know."

Sam swallowed a bit. He knew what that meant. He paused when his double added, "And for you to give up what we are looking for. The sister of the god of dreams."

Sam looked at his double. He sensed that was what had Angela concerned. He was well versed that when someone demanded for something that was crucial to the balance of the universe, it was usually not a good thing. He looked his double in the eye and replied, "I'm not giving you Jack squat."

His double pursed his lips at him. The smirk would have teased Angela into accepting a challenge. If it was the real Sam. The double was anything but. He looked like he was ready to skin Sam alive. He narrowed his eyes at Sam and said, "Then you will regret ever saying that."

Sam was ready for the attack. Even though he was reacting, subconsciously he was recalling everything he learned about dream walking from Angela. When she agreed, he realized that he was getting a more intense schooling than when he had been thrown into the deep end when he and Dean took dream root. He ended up learning more of the nuances and it occurred to him that he was getting the same honor she had been given since she had been trained by Morpheus himself. He muttered to himself, "This is only a dream. I control what goes on."

Sam dodged the attack that came straight on at him and countered, grabbing the arm of his double and flipping him over, forcing his opponent on his back. He grunted and moved to try and make the double submit. Before he could do that, he felt a strike to his back that distracted him enough to be yanked towards his double and getting a punch in the face. He went down on his hands and knees.

"You forget, Sammy," his double sneered as he pointed at his head, "I'm in your head. I know you." He kicked Sam in the ribs. "I know your thoughts. How you always think so low of yourself." He kicked Sam again. "All those pathetic thoughts. How you're a screwup. And the feelings?" He gave another hard kick to Sam before walking away.

Sam couldn't dodge the kicks and took them. He grunted as he took the hits. He coughed and gasped for air. He rolled and wanted to gag since he felt the coppery tang of his blood in his mouth. He pushed himself up, wincing as he did so.

The double was still talking, "God the feelings are such…" He made a hissing sound of anger and frustration. "The self-loathing is pathetic. It a wonder she still is with you. You're like a lost, kicked puppy."

"I'm doing right by her," Sam muttered, more to himself.

"And you want to make amends. But tell me something."

Sam froze as his double came close and kneeled beside him. He looked at his double staring at him full on with cruelty in his eyes. Sam was well aware that he had been running around a year and a half with no soul in his body. That part had been surviving Michael and Lucifer in hell. This seemed to be a taste of the filter off the brain and the sheer ruthlessness that he might have had. He gritted his teeth and slowed his breaths as he was grabbed by his hair and his head forced to look at his double.

The double smirked at Sam as he pulled his head back, "Tell me… do you really think that you can hide the fact that you are scared of your brother? That you fear he will make good on what he said in that voicemail?"

Sam didn't say anything, but his throat convulsed as he tried to keep his emotions under control. He couldn't move his head since his double was holding his head in a tight grip. But that wasn't what had him feel like he was being dunked in a freezing ice bath. He looked at his double and replied, "That wasn't Dean."

"But you're not sure, are you?" The double looked at Sam with a sneer and watched the emotions pass on the man's face. He flung Sam forward, "Keep lying to yourself, Sam. Maybe it's a comfort for when I kill you." He had taken a few steps backwards. When he turned around, he was holding a machete, much like the ones Sam and Dean used. "And maybe you'll make it all better for her."

Sam got to his hands and knees after being flung forward. He didn't take notice of the scrapes to his arms and elbows as he gritted his teeth to ready himself and get to his feet. He huffed, feeling angry, mostly with himself for being so weak. He hated it and he hated that she could and had seen him in those moments; see his helplessness. The implication was the last straw.

The double thought he was going to end Sam, but he was in for a surprise. When he brought down the machete, he was surprised that Sam hadn't moved and someone else had grabbed the blade between their hands. His eyes followed the hands to the arms and the arms to the body of a woman dressed in flowing robes with dark hair and her eyes were glowing golden orbs. He blinked at what he was seeing and stepped back, but he couldn't yank the blade free, when Sam got to his feet.

Sam was seeing red and it was focused on his double. He was calm enough to know who it was that came to his rescue. He listened to his double start to stutter and said, "Thanks. I can take it from here."

"Well you know best. I'm just here…"

"Because you're the part of her that's mine." It sounded like a petulant child saying it, but the firm timbre that Sam's voice took told that he was reminding himself the score.

The woman shrugged, "I guess I'm done here."

Sam didn't acknowledge the woman. He rounded in on his double, ready for the kill when he was stopped short. He staggered back when a huge mass of fur landed and rolled right in front of him and collided with his double. The pair of them rolled and had Sam blink. He frowned in confusion, distracted from his anger as he watched his double and the mass of fur roll away. He heard Moira make a sound that seemed to echo his confusion.

"Take that fake Kuzma."

Sam turned to see Angela panting heavily, resting her hands on her hips. She was disheveled, like when she got into a wrestling bout with Dean. She did have a few bruises and abrasions on her person, but she was alive. And she looked like she was wearing gear that was best suited for those documentaries on ancient cultures or low budget shows that was set in ancient times. It had Sam blink since it showed off her figure quite prominently. He choked out, "Angie?"

Angela turned and looked at him and surveyed the scene. If Sam expected her to run towards him, he was to be disappointed. He didn't since he knew she was not one to show her emotions unless she was closed to being overwhelmed by them or she wanted to be intimate or show affection. This wasn't the time or place and he himself was not in that mood. He was still reeling from his anger and fear. He was going to say something, but he was prevented from doing it when he was grabbed from behind in a chokehold and his double saying, "Did you think that it was going to be that easy? Remember, I am you!"

With a growl, Sam adjusted his grip and managed to slip out of the hold. He tackled his double to the ground and straddled him. It then became a beating of frustration as he pounded his double's face. Each punch he gave, he was accosted with images of when he was soulless. The same hard punches were being delivered to his face. As he punched his double, it was like he could feel the punches on his face and he swung harder, blinded by the pain and anger.

"Sam."

Sam huffed angrily and continued to swing. He didn't want to hear her voice, hear her empathy. While he knew on some level she would understand, she couldn't understand how he felt. He wanted to ignore it and literally beat himself to a bloody pulp.

"Sam… stop."

Sam felt her hand on his shoulder and let out a shuddering gasp as he sat back. He looked downward at the bloodied face of his double. There was no life in the dark eyes. He looked back up and took deep breaths and turned to see Angela kneeling there beside him. "Angie… I…"

He couldn't continue and looked downward. The double shimmered and faded away. He gasped for breath, trying not to be so angry. He offered no resistance when she wrapped her arms around him and instead, gripped her body tight. His nose automatically sought the crook of her neck and he buried it there, taking in her scent.

* * *

 **A/N:** Angie meets Eve, Mother of All and Sam confronts his worst nightmare. Stay tuned for more Sandman...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"So, you met Eve?" Dean looked at Angela incredulously.

Angela nodded in an almost nonchalant manner, "Yes. I met the Mother of All. She was looking for me." She glanced behind Dean to check up on Sam and her lower lip worried.

She knew that Sam was working through some deep seated issues that she suspected, but never pushed for. It wasn't that she didn't care. She was well aware of the fragility of human ego and pride, especially in men. Sam never liked appearing weak in front of her since he equated it with failure on a promise that he made to himself. It fed into self-loathing and hatred, something that Dean did often too, and she wasn't alone in that.

What happened though… she sensed that it was something that could break Sam if it was forced out of him. She hadn't failed to see that he was battling a double of himself. She saw the bloodied face and she saw his body shaking with anger. There were no words she could say, but there was something she could do.

Call it nature of mated pairs or whatever. She wasn't putting too much stock into it since she could calm down both Winchesters long before she took Sam as her mate. She wrapped her arms around Sam and the effect was almost immediate. He was still shaky, but he calmed down enough to get to his feet and for her to explain that she knew what they were dealing with.

She didn't like that they had to thrust it aside and keep moving, but they had little choice. Kuzma would try to track them down and if they ran across other zones, they would have their hands full dealing with the dreams of other people. They ended up running into Dean and Penelope before ending back at the church. At least there were no monsters.

From there, Angela proceeded to explain what was going on, including that she met Eve. It was what had Dean held up as he tried to process that. She looked at him and nodded, "She… started this. To get to me. And she's using Morpheus to do it."

Dean studied her as she just stared. He knew she was watching Sam, sensing that something happened, and they weren't talking for some reason and it had him concerned. After everything they had been through, they couldn't afford misunderstandings that would mess up the best thing to walk into Sam's life and hers. Still, he knew that it would work out and continued, "And what does that guy that manipulates dreams…"

"Morpheus doesn't manipulate dreams," Angela corrected, "He maintains the realm along with Penelope." She gestured at the woman who was just wandering around, looking. "It's the dreamer that creates the scene. You know this."

Dean threw a look at her. He was tempted to retort something snarky but decided against it. He asked, "Okay then, why here?"

"Because this is where my brother sent me to hide," Penelope answered. She turned towards the group staring at her. "My brother sent me here to hide from the invaders."

"But why?" Dean was trying to be nice but the tension in the room was stifling. "Why hide you?"

"Because she is what is barely keeping the realms from merging," Angela replied. She looked at Sam. The only signs he was giving was that he was listening to what was being said. She looked at the others and explained, "Morpheus runs the place and while dreamers can shape it…" She gestured at Penelope, "She ultimately provides the stability needed. Among other things."

Dean took a moment to process everything. He glanced over when the priest moved a few things in an attempt to clean up the church. He looked back at Angela. She hadn't stopped looking at him, waiting for him to process everything. He asked, "Is this more of this duality thing or something?"

"Something like that," Angela admitted with a shrug. She watched Sam as he moved over to join them. "But that isn't all of the problem."

"No, the problem is Eve wants you and is creating a mess to get to you." Dean looked at Angela with a pointed look. He wasn't trying to pick a fight or anything like it. He was frustrated and pissed that they were in the middle of something that he couldn't readily resort to the usual methods. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"For the most part, I don't like it either," Angela admitted with a slight smile. She glanced over at Sam. He was calm enough to talk to and she didn't doubt hat he was listening in on the conversation. "But as I was saying," she adjusted her stance and looked at Dean, "The problem includes a gatekeeper."

"Gatekeeper?" Dean frowned, trying to understand.

"Yes," Angela replied, "The one that opens the gate for the dreamer to enter. The one that… makes it possible for you to sleep."

"And?"

"You're talking about a sandman."

Dean turned to looked at his brother. He blinked more in surprise, "How do you know that?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders. It took a bit, but he had calmed down enough to be rational. He had been listening to the conversation and thought about it and came to his conclusions. "Thought about it."

"Point is," Angela interrupted, waving her hand slightly, "The other piece is a sandman."

"A, as in more than one?"

Angela looked at Dean and nodded, "Think like the reapers. There are more than one, but the one I am talking about… he's _the_ Sandman. The big daddy one." She looked at the pair of them with a pointed look. "He's the one in charge. And he's the one that is corrupted."

"The gate is left open and the realms will merge."

Three pairs of eyes turned to look at Penelope from where she was staring outside in a dreamy state. She turned to look at them. Much like an innocent girl, she stared at them, perplexed at the looks she was getting. She turned to watch the priest as he was going about his business. "Dreams are bleeding into reality. The gatekeeper has been corrupted into leaving the gate open."

Angela blinked slowly at that. Nodding, she added, "Sandmen are the gatekeepers to the realm of dreams. They are the ones that give you the means of falling asleep. Morpheus is the ruler, but like any ruler, balance is needed within the kingdom. Hence, Penelope. The last thread from keeping the realm from collapsing."

"But, why is she here?" Dean had been confused about the whole thing. He could get that she was in trouble and they would help. It's what he did. The other stuff was a little complicated. "Wouldn't it be better if she were back at her home."

"My brother is a prisoner of the mother. She has him bound."

Dean understood that part. He remembered the last encounter with the god of dreams. He had been bound then. It had him wonder, "Why the hell is it easy for him to be bound? I thought gods were powerful or something." He frowned at that.

"Even gods have a weakness or two," Angela replied with a slight teasing smile. It sobered as she turned to look at the damage all around the place. She studied the walls, the damaged pews as she thought about what she was going to say and how to explain it. She glanced at the Winchesters, "And the worse form of death is to be forgotten. Luckily for Morpheus, he isn't dead. As long as there is sleep, there are dreamers. Unfortunately, the ones who maintain the balance can be captured and manipulated. Like Death was with Lucifer."

She blinked slowly as she looked at the Winchesters. She looked at Sam. She wanted badly to talk about what she had witnessed, but she sensed that he wasn't ready to do so, and it had to do with something that he long kept buried. It had been there since the day they met and intensified when they started realizing their feelings for each other. She had noticed, but kept quiet, hoping Sam would eventually tell her. She stared at Sam as he avoided looking at her and pursed her lips.

Dean glanced at his brother and then over at Penelope. No one was saying anything, but there was a question to answer. He looked over at the priest who was going about his business. "Okay so… what is the plan? I mean don't you need the dream god free."

"Unbind my brother and he will take back the realm, but the gate is opened still," Penelope said sadly as she looked around. She sighed as she turned away.

"And?" Dean had an idea of what was needed to be done. He just needed it spelled out to him. It was a hell of a lot simpler to have it spelled out. Then there were no mistakes.

Penelope didn't say anything, but she glanced at Angela. Angela was still watching Sam with a pensive expression. What needed to be done, she knew what it was. It was going to take a toll on all of them. She knew the truth about dream when allowed to become their full strength. And with Sam still thinking about what happened earlier…

"Angie?"

Angela turned to look at Dean. She could see the worry in his eyes. She knew he was most concerned about the wall in his head. It was one of the few things that she bullied out of Dean once she was oriented after being out of hell. He reluctantly told her, but she wanted to know what was going on and what had happened. She understood what would happen if the wall in his head would collapse. It was what she was dealing with now.

Dean took a step towards her when he saw the look on her face. It was similar to the one that she would give when she didn't have an emotion to convey. It was one that Sam thoroughly hated and was vocal about it. He realized that what she was going to say, he might not like and said, "Spit it out."

Angela blinked slowly as she received Dean's assent to say it. She straightened up and said, "The only way we are going to free Morpheus and seal the gate is to physically go to the dream realm and return the Sandman to his original state."

"Well that's easy. Right?" Dean tried to be glib with it to lighten the seriousness of it, but even he knew that the situation had to be dire if Angela had that look on her face.

It was Penelope that spoke and more lucid than she had been since he met her, "The dream realm is not meant to be traversed physically by mortals."

"But it can be done," Angela cut in. She turned to look at everyone there. She studied everyone, about to reveal the secrets.

Suddenly the door opened and in came in a couple of people bearing guns. They had them cocked. Angela looked at them as they pointed them at them and looking for Father Roussell. One of them fired their weapon at Angela. She didn't move, but her eyes flared ever slightly, and her hand lifted, palm facing the oncoming bullet. She muttered a few choice words and the bullet came to a slow halt before turning into a harmless puff of feathers.

"Walter, you asshole!" Dean stepped forward and laid a hard cross on Walter's face. He barely noticed that Angela had managed to save herself and Sam. Sam, he noticed had moved to take the shot. He was going to have a long talk with his baby brother about the different between protecting and being stupid when it came to their girl.

Angela lowered her hand and studied the newcomers. She didn't flinch when Dean punched the man and then looked at Sam. He had started moving to protect her and it dawned on her that he was willing to take the shot meant for her if he didn't move fast enough. Her gaze shifted back to where Dean was and before he could give another blow, she said, "Dean."

Dean paused in what he was doing. He had his hand raised to deliver a punch and lowered it when Angela gave him that look. He took a long look at her and saw that it wasn't the bland look. It was a weary one. Like what she had been about to tell them was going to mean a certain amount of pain, the kind of thing she knew so well; well they all did, different based on experience, but the same. He straightened out and said, "Sorry, Angie."

"No need to be sorry," she replied as she stepped forward. "Since the realms are merging, the rules are too." She turned to look at Walter and held out her hand. "I apologize," she said and offered a smile.

* * *

"You and I are going to have a talk later."

Sam sighed and rolled his eyes as he walked forward, holding his gun. He kept an eye out for anything, dream or otherwise as they walked through the own. He muttered low, "There is nothing to talk about. I would do it again."

Dean narrowed his eyes slightly, "And that is stupid."

"I know."

They continued in silence while looking for any sign of danger. Dean looked at Walter and Dana and at the priest. He was surprised the padre wanted to come along since they were going into dangerous territory. Angela had explained that in order to free Morpheus and seal the gate, they would physically have to go to the dream realm.

It sounded easy, but it wasn't. She warned them that what they were doing was risky to their lives. Dean didn't like it, but he saw that there was little to no choice. Of course, she offered to go alone and Sam shot that down quick. From Dean's side of things, he thought Sam was going to grab her and run and hide her somewhere. After that… his mind went to the gutter a bit and he stopped it before it went out of hand.

 _The dream realm is meant for dreamers, not people. If you go there, you risk your lives should you die._

That was usually the job. Being a hunter carried the risk of maiming or death. Yet, Dean sensed that there was more to it the way how Penelope made it sound. It had to be big because Angela was just as somber; like she knew exactly was going to happen. Dean didn't doubt that since he was well aware that his sister was… very familiar with the god of dreams and no doubt she knew of things that even Bobby would have a hard time getting to know. He glanced at Angela as she led the way with a determined step before glancing at Sam.

Sam was just alert as well. So far they hadn't crossed 'zones' yet. He didn't know what he was going to do if it would come to crossing into a zone and he saw his worst nightmare again. He knew that it was very long overdue conversation between him and Angela. Yet he still had no idea how to talk about it, because how can you tell the one person that is like the air you breathe that the worst nightmare is you? You doing the worst thing to the person you love?

He finally figured it out, when he had hallucinated after snagging Famine's ring, in the panic room. He figured it out and still refused to tell her. He knew she wasn't stupid, and she figured that something was up. He just couldn't bring himself to tell her that part that shamed him. He wanted to think that he would never hurt her, but he knew better since he had already done it. It was stupid, yes, but part of his not telling her was this fierce desire to protect her.

 _Seems like things are testing us left and right._

 _I'm fine, Angie. I'm worried about you._

 _Don't hide from me, Sam. This is clearly trying on you. What it is, you can't tell me, but I trust you. I trust your judgement._

She gave him much more than he deserved at times. He didn't deserve her. Even after everything, his jumping into hell, she followed him in and stayed, knowing what it meant. She was better than any of them and yet, she chose to stay with him and Dean. Sighing, he steeled his resolve, knowing that at some point, he was going to have to talk to her. He just didn't want to put any more burden onto her.

"She sees all you are. Flaws and all. And it doesn't matter."

Sam glanced over to find that Dean had fallen back to cover the rear and was replaced by Penelope. He raised his brow, not quite sure what to make of her. One moment she was almost like an absent minded child. Another, she was lucid and actually made sense. The truth was that she did make sense, it just took a bit of work, patience, and a trait that Dean was not always willing to try. Sam was much more patient and willing to make the effort. He replied, "It doesn't. But it should."

"A decision she chooses. Hard to accept."

"No denying that," Sam admitted freely with a slight shake of his head. "Angie… she can hold a grudge, but only when she wants to."

"A gift, Sam Winchester," Penelope replied with nod. "Such as the gift to put aside emotion and charge forward with what needs to be done."

Sam didn't need Penelope to go into that. He had read about her exploits. On his downtime, he had taken back up the challenge she had set forth before this and strove to learn more about her. He learned what she glibly touched upon and could see why she would say she didn't know what people were talking about. It became clear when she laid down the plan to fix all of this and it was clear that she had deliberated while Dean was cussing out Walter after he accidentally fired at her. She was good at thinking while listening. It was why they called her the great tactician.

The plan was to traverse the dream realm. The danger was that whatever dreams were thrown at them would be ten times more potent. Potent to the point that they were dealing with the real thing and death was certain compared to being a dreamer where death was not certain. That was not completely true since they had an experience with one dreamer who killed. He and Dean learned that when they used dream root.

This wasn't like the thing with the tulpa. This was very real though and Sam could see the reluctance to use it. He also knew that there was one more step to the whole thing. It was like the thing with the devil. Once they had the key to the cage, it became a matter of what then. The gate could only be closed from the inside and once it was closed, only the Sandman could open it. And that was if they succeeded in purging the corruption from him.

 _The Sandman must not be killed. He needs to be purged. He alone has the power to open and close the gate._

Dean's reaction was to ask how they were to do that. That was on everyone's mind when they stared at Angela. She responded by saying that they would need a purifying agent. Penelope suggested using the smudging process, white sage. It was an old remedy, but it provided the calm needed and was used in Native American purification rites. The trick was to perform the right when there was sure was resistance.

The wild card of the whole operation was Eve. Angela admitted that this was a means to an end, but she didn't elaborate, and Sam didn't blame her. To tell the story that the big bad did this to get to her… it never boded well for anyone. It was enough to get Walter and Dana on their side. Sam and Dean didn't want to get them involved but they made the choice and were now with them. Penelope carried the herbs while Angela led the way. The dogs accompanied them since more eyes were better than none, or rather noses.

"I thought we were supposed to be meeting resistance or something," Walter's voice cut through Sam's thoughts.

There were some feet shuffling as Angela came to a stop and looked around. She didn't look at anyone but ahead. It was clear that she heard the question but was choosing to not answer. Her focus was on the scene in front of her as she moved her head slowly side to side. Sam recognized the slight cock of her head indicating she was listening to the world around her.

Sam and Dean were used to it, but it was clear that Walter wasn't, and he said, "Well?" His tone was impatient and not understanding of the situation.

"Dad," Dana entered, hissing at him.

"We've been dealing with things that turn out to be the things our neighbors dream about and now that we are on a plan to fix it, the expected resistance isn't happening, and I want to know why," Walter pointed out, almost shouting.

"Call it a means of getting your guard down."

Everyone turned to look at Angela. She still wasn't looking at people. Her attention was focused on looking ahead. Slowly she turned her head to glance back at the group with a raised brow. She added in an almost ominous tone, "Be careful what you wish for."

It was almost sudden when a dull thump and the ground filled with tremors. Sam and Dean moved to keep themselves steady and Dean rolled his eyes at his dog. "Thought you were a tracker, Zep. Frigging mutt."

"Dreams, Dean," Angela threw back with a lopsided smile. She sobered immediately and her eyes started searching the area. "I thought so."

"Wait, thought so what?" Dean took a couple of steps forward. He lowered his shotgun, so it wasn't pointed at anyone, but it was at the ready in case he needed it. They weren't exactly in the dream realm and to be honest, he had no idea if salt rounds would do the trick. Maybe, but he wasn't sure. It was better than nothing. He repeated, "Thought so what?"

Angela looked around. There was nothing there, but that didn't mean that there wasn't anything there. She vaguely recalled back to when she was first learning about Morpheus' world. She twisted her head to better hear their surroundings and to ignore the fact that Lucifer had been making himself comfortable the last hour or so they had been trekking, looking for the entrance they needed.

 _This realm is like the waking realm. Here there are rules, but there is a caveat. Rules can be bent._

Angela took a short breath as she realized what she was seeing; what they were seeing. She remembered this trick. She abruptly turned while pulling out the knife she had hidden on her person and aimed in the direction of Walter. She knew her aim and guessed that he would duck, which he did. She smirked when it hit its target and a large ugly monster appeared and fell forward dead.

"What the…"

Angela muttered the choice phrases that she learned and all around the group shimmered revealing that they had crossed through several zones and there were a couple of things that only appeared in nightmares, including the huge thing that Dean had been running from earlier. Everyone was stunned except for Penelope and Angela who said, "Hide and seek to get our guard down."

There were quite a few things that could kill them closing in. Angela glanced around, noting where the zone lines were. She could see the shimmers. She turned when she heard a growl and shook her head slightly in annoyance. They had monsters and now… She gave a slight grin when she said, "I'll take the giant wolf. Hello, Kuzma."

* * *

 **A/N:** Angie tells the Winchesters what they are up against and find that there are a lot more challenges to fixing the problem. Stay tuned for next time on Sandman...


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

As a general rule, gods tended to be petty, arrogant, some were cruel, and typically not the kind of beings to find themselves in a situation that would be considered embarrassing. The last part was more of a lie. Morpheus would know. He was living proof of that. His most embarrassing moment was being bound by a lower level demon that got the drop on him. This moment… it was an annoyance.

It was annoyance in the sense that it was a disruption in the natural order. His natural order, the natural order of his realm, was disrupted. And he was pissed at it. Pissed that he was bound to the whims of a being that was having a temper tantrum over things that were happening in the waking world. He was also worried.

This was the first time though that physical beings had invaded the dream realm. It was alarming that this being knew to use one of the gatekeepers to open the gate and it as left open, thus the bleeding of the two realms into one. He did have one thing stopping it though. Few knew about it and even fewer understood the intricacies.

It was risky to send his sister out into the waking world. She had never been there, being perfectly content with living in their home. He didn't like sending her there because she was all alone. She knew nothing of the creatures, some that were more devious and self-serving than others and then there were the humans.

Penelope's only interaction with humans were the few that she had in her favor. Mostly they were like the savant type dreamers. She could figure them out through their auras or something like. Her biggest purpose, and a secret amongst the gods, was that she was the stability. He may rule the place, but she provided the stability to realm.

So, Morpheus made the decision to get her out. It was a plan he had developed but hoped to never use it. Now it seemed that it was a reality. He knew that if his sister was corrupted, then the humans would really be in trouble. It would truly be an upset to natural order, and he would have Death on his ass. He was already pissed with the Winchesters, but that was alleviated because they had the balancing act.

Morpheus stood in the viewing chamber and looked at the images that were showing on the clear liquid. He thought things and how they got to where they were at. He had done what he could to protect the realm, but the being who bound him, knew things. It was odd, but then when he realized who it was, it made sense to him. There may be lines, but some were blurred when it came to the things that should be black and white.

"You know this isn't about you."

Morpheus didn't look at the intruder but instead continued to stare at the viewing pool. He glanced down at his wrists to view the near invisible bindings that had been slapped on him. They glistened like silver and probably were. Silver was still the go-to when it came to binding creatures that weren't human, including gods.

"Ignoring me won't make the problem go away."

Morpheus closed his eyes and felt them roll in annoyance under the lids. He opened them and looked at his captor, the irises like a swirling sea of silver and blue. "What do you want me to say? That I forgive you? Hardly, Eve." He looked away.

Eve approached the god. He hadn't even tried to leave the room even though she gave him carte blanche to move about his palace. Well, she did bind him and that was her insurance to keeping control. He knew that and it seemed he was just being difficult with it. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. Just telling you that it doesn't revolve around you."

Morpheus looked at Eve, his eyes narrowed swirls of silver. "Doesn't involve me? You came here, forced a gatekeeper into keeping the gate open and now the waking and dream world are melding together. It does involve me."

Eve was quiet as she looked at the god of dreams. She took in the narrowed look, well aware that he could do a few things despite being bound. He hadn't acted upon it and it had her suspicious. Or it could be that he was being his high and mighty god self and the whole thing about not interfering with the humans.

Morpheus snorted at her and turned away. He looked at the pool and it shimmered to show a dreamer. It was a little girl and she was smiling. At least her pleasant dreams were keeping her company. He wanted to chuckle at the sight of unicorns and teddy bears. Children's dreams were always a source of happiness. Most were innocent. Some were creative.

Eve turned to look at the poll. She smiled, "Children are precious, aren't they?"

Morpheus narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion, "Yes, they are."

Eve smirked at him, "Relax. I don't harm children. They are so precious. As a mother, I understand that."

"Of course. You're the mother of all the monsters in the world."

"But a mother nevertheless." Eve walked around the pool, so she was facing him. "You could say that I'm a patron of good mothers."

Morpheus shook his head at that. He had seen it mostly through dreams the concept of good mothers. Some were from mothers that were bad mothers. He couldn't really retort at her idea of what a mother was. He turned away to look at a wall.

"You know, you've had plenty of times to try one of your tricks," Eve said as she took a couple of steps. She ran her fingers along the rim of the pool. "But you didn't. Why?"

Morpheus looked at the bas relief in the walls and replied in an absent minded fashion, "Oh because of my self-righteous godly self." He looked at her and added, "I don't meddle with humans."

Eve couldn't help but laugh at that. "Now that it a load of lies. The gods have their loopholes, and some have an infatuation with local virgins. So, don't tell me you are an exception."

"Oh, I am," Morpheus replied. He raised his brow like she was silly for thinking otherwise. "I observe dreams. Occasionally, I amplify the nightmares, but only because they are the truth. Bad people deserve punishment. Don't you think?"

Eve smirked, "I knew you were not as self-righteous as you proclaimed."

"And sarcasm is something to be desired of beings like gods or a mother of all," Morpheus countered with a smirk. He sobered but kept the lighthearted look as he continued, "But I don't interfere. Humans are capable of getting themselves in and out of messes."

"Is that why you sent your sister to the waking world?"

Morpheus had turned back to the bas relief after saying what he said. He turned back around at Eve's comment and stared at her. "Family protects family," he replied in a near mocking tone. "Even I know the consequences when you use family as leverage."

"Then you know how I feel," Eve countered as she leaned across the pool. She narrowed he gaze at Morpheus and continued, "You know what it's like to hear your family cry out in pain when they are hunted down. It used to be we'd hunt a human and then they hunt one of us. Tit for tat and it was fine. The balance of all things. Now we are being massacred."

"And you are blaming this town for that? Now that is petty even for you," Morpheus countered, making a wry gesture at her.

"Oh, and letting me take over purposely isn't petty?"

Morpheus looked at her with a raised brow. "In case you've forgotten, I've launched my defenses at you, and it was all a distraction to get my sister out."

"And she just happened to end up in the hands of the very person I am looking for?"

Morpheus was not a poker player, but he had played enough intrigue games to know how to not show his hand. Plus, he picked up a few things from the gamblers who dreamed and a few from his particular favorite. He was not about to show the hand he had played because it had been executed without prior knowledge of all parties.

 _Sometimes, the best tactics are when you keep the cards so close to the vest that people doubt you at every turn. You can't fake genuine reaction no matter how hard you try._

Morpheus kept this play close and looked at Eve with a bland expression, "Any god worth his salt knows that his sanctuary can be invaded. Measures are taken. I just happen to know that it's an arrogant god that loses."

"So… you lost?"

"And it's a defeatist that thinks three strikes and you are out."

"I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Morpheus looked at her with a perplexed expression. He raised his brow in inquiry, "That what, I had someone, like a backup plan? My only plan was to hide my sister in the waking world. She may be simple at times, but she could surprise you."

"Do you think that I am stupid?"

Morpheus shook his shoulders like it was a possibility. "I don't know. I'm just telling you the truth."

"Don't lie to me!" Eve narrowed her eyes at Morpheus. It turned into a glare as she continued, "I know you sent your sister to the _only_ one that has the power to thwart me. The only one that has been designated by God himself to protect these weak and pathetic humans…"

"Actually, the correct phrasing was that she would protect all beings," Morpheus pointed out like a know it all. "She cares and protects all beings who just wish to live in peace. It's somewhere in one of those texts that are lying around…"

"You know damn well what I mean, and we all know that when it comes down to it, she sides with the humans."

"And that's where you are wrong." Morpheus wasn't put out by the bad temper. He knew why Eve was there. He was just not letting it get to him, but he was worried. He was worried for his sister since she was being full on exposed to the darkness that humans jumped into. Brushing it aside, he stepped closer to his viewing pool and made a sweeping motion to clear it.

The pool's silvery liquid shimmered. It revealed the dreams of someone. He looked at Eve and said, "Now this one is not human. Yet…" He pointed at the pool, "He dreams about the day he was saved. Saved by her or someone like her. A hunter."

Eve looked t the dream being played out. There was no denying it and she didn't like that Morpheus was getting the upper hand on this. Then again, it seemed that he had played this game before and he wasn't intimidated by it. She clearly underestimated him. "And who better than to send your sister to. After all, you know better than anyone exactly what she is."

"I really have no idea what you are talking about and for the record, she picked up this town as a job. No idea it was you and I never sent a call for help." Morpheus shook his head, but he was growing concerned.

"You know what I am talking about. She is more than what the world sees. You think that God would have been able to keep a secret as big as her?"

Morpheus shook his head in exasperation, "You are giving more credit than should be given to a five hundred plus half human, half vampire, who was damned lucky her humanity won out and kept her on the path she's on." He looked at Eve with a firm expression, "Whatever fantasy you are harboring, if this is a test for her… know that you will get burned for forcing it upon her. Believe me, I have seen what happens when you do that."

"Which I look forward to seeing," Eve shot back. At the look she was getting, she giggled, "I mean, I know exactly what needs to be done to fix things. That she will have to physically come here to free you and to shut the gate. Of course, the danger is that she could die and whatever is the stuff of dreams and nightmares becomes much more potent, more real."

"And even if she did, she will triumph." Morpheus decided to let it slip, "Considering that she requested I train her for that sort of thing."

"And what of her companions? I know she travels with the Winchesters and they are the ones I am after."

"Then you better watch your step. She is…"

"Like a mother," Eve interrupted with a smirk. "I know that. And it's the secret of what she truly is. I would love to see the day when it all comes together."

Morpheus held his tongue. While he could verbally deny it, he knew that it wasn't a good idea. There were some things that were older than written record that had become nothing but myth for a reason. Most of the gods knew the truth. The celestials definitely knew, and they were the best at pretending nothing was out of ordinary, unless they truly didn't know. This… the god of dreams knew that there was a reason for her not knowing. He could only pray that she would fix this before someone said something before the appointed time. If there was one.

 _Shifa' please do what you have to do but be careful._

* * *

Gunfire was popping out and ricocheting off concrete. Dean huddled behind his cover with Sam as they tried to look for an opening. He had never really been in a fire fight. A fight with fists and shit, but this? No way, and he was in the middle of that first time for everything shit. Not that he could complain overmuch.

He didn't like the plan, but there was little choice. He wasn't thrilled with the possibility of facing his nightmares or anyone else seeing them for that matter. He highly suspected his girl knew his nightmares, but she was nice enough not to say anything.

They started out and things had been calm. A means of getting their guards down. Walter certainly was there when he got impatient. Angela had been alert the entire time and managed to warn them. Dean had been pissed at the fact that giant monster that chased him earlier had made an appearance plus a few things that belonged in a video game or in some twisted imagination.

The giant wolf was a far better sight though it was a giant and it looked ready to rip all of them apart. And the thing had a bead on Angela. The only she could do was run away. It was stupid since turning your back on an animal incited a chase, but Dean was sure that it was because it was much more dangerous than the ugly ass ogre that was there.

Bullets didn't really help since they were nothing but dreams. It was a waste of ammo, but they couldn't help themselves. They had to use what they could. Eventually, they managed to get rid of the initial attack, but Angela had not come back. Dean knew better than to think she ditched them. He figured that giant wolf was more of a job to handle.

It was Sam that said they needed to keep on going. Penelope was in agreement and said that Angela would show up. So, they continued on. They didn't run into anything else until they got close to the gate. Now, Dean and Sam were engaged with what looked like something out of a video game with a bunch of soldiers firing at them. And the bullets were real.

Dean gritted his teeth and growled, "Sonofabitch. What the hell Sam?"

Sam huddled as best as he could. His tall frame didn't allow him to be sufficiently covered, but he did the best that he could do. He peeked over and ducked just before a bullet hit the wall. The best he could remember was when they were stuck in TV Land and he ended up in a movie with a battle. But that was during D-Day. This… this was something different. He and Dean only had their handguns.

"Sam, we're stuck here, and Walter and Dana are…" Dean gestured over to where they were pinned down and trying to dire back. Penelope was with them and she was trying to do something. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be in the middle of spell chanting. He didn't know what and didn't care unless it was going to help them.

Sam knew the situation they were in. They hadn't been able to approach the gate because more of the whatever it was came from it. It was like it was preventing them from getting in. Angela had warned them about that, and she said that they would be more potent. This was proving it. More or less. He didn't want to think about what would happen once they made it into Morpheus' place.

Right now, he could see as well as Dean that they were literally outnumbered and out gunned. They couldn't use their guns. They'd run out of ammo for when they would really need it. Sam tried to think about what they could do. And then it hit him.

 _Thing about the dream realm, Sam, is that there are rules. Like anything we know in the waking world, there are laws that govern it, but… the rules can be bent. Bent, not broken._

Sam frowned as he recalled when he learned more about dream walking like Angela did. He had asked as a means of getting close to her and ended up learning more than what he did as a fluke under dream root. "Bent, not broken," he muttered.

"What?" Dean grimaced when debris flew in his face when a bullet ricocheted.

 _The dream realm manifests everything in your mind. Real and imaginary. The thing to remember is that you control it. Rules can be bent, not broken. Gravity is still gravity, but you can defy it if you fly. The how… that's up to you._

"Bent, not broken," Sam repeated out loud as he looked at Dean. He was well aware Dean wasn't getting it and probably thinking he was losing it, but he couldn't think about it now. He had to concentrate. He got to his and put his gun back in his jacket.

Dean watched as Sam started looking like Penelope. His eyes widened when Sam put his gun in his jacket. "What are you doing?"

"Bent, not broken," Sam replied as he looked at the ground and focused. "Gravity is still gravity, but it can be defied." He took a couple of deep breaths.

Dean was going to protest but the hail of bullets kept his taking cover. He thought Sam was vulnerable just sitting there, not paying attention until… He frowned and then his eyes widened as their gear bag appeared along with a few extras. He looked over and saw a similar bag appear near Walter and Dana. He was distracted when Sam shouted, "Walter, Dana, use what's in the bags!"

Dean looked at Sam, "Okay, what the hell?"

Sam looked at the gear bag and pulled out a rifle and handed it to Dean. He took in his brother's look and said, "It's like with dream root." When that failed, he added, "Just go with it. I'll explain when we're not under attack."

Dean took that and took the rifle. He looked at it and was surprised that Sam managed to conjure a pretty decent weapon. He took it and aimed at one that been pissing him off. He took the shot and the guy went down. He grinned when he took another shot and things went well. All in all, they managed to take down the defenses. He breathed a sigh of relief when there was an all-clear. They came out and Dean looked at Sam and asked, "Alright, what did you do?"

Sam looked at Dean and shrugged. Before he could say anything, he flew and hit the wall of a building. He grunted and landed hard. Dean whirled and turned to see the demon he made a deal with to get Sam back. Before he could say something, he was thrown aside.

"Now, now. We've concluded our business. I am here for someone else."

Dean tried to get to his feet when he saw more demons grab Walter and Dana, leaving Penelope exposed. He wondered what the hell was wrong with her since she was just standing there. He felt some force push him down on the ground and it felt like it was crushing him. He looked up and saw the demon smirking at him. He grunted in pain since it felt like an elephant was sitting on him and he finally blurted out, "Zeppelin te voco meus. Nunc!"

At the same time, Sam managed to shout, "Moira!" He then gave a piercing whistle.

It was almost eerie when two lone howls sounded through the air. It wasn't dogs howling and it wasn't wolves. The demons paused when they heard the howls. The demon that Sam had killed so long ago looked at Dean and demanded, "What… was… that?"

Dean grimaced and looked up at the demon. He managed to smile one of his more endearing smiles and breathed, "Just something to ruin your day."

A low rumbling growl sounded, and the demon was tackled by Zeppelin in his hellhound glory, just not as ugly. It was clear though that he was out for blood as shown by the crackling red eyes and really sharp teeth. His sibling Moira was ten times worse as she charged the demons holding Walter and Dana. It didn't take much for them to make them disappear.

"Good boy, Zep," Dean rubbed Zeppelin's head. The Wilder hadn't shifted back to normal and wouldn't until he felt the danger had passed. He got to his feet, panting and looked over at Sam, "You all right, Sammy?"

Sam took a couple of breaths and nodded, "I'm good." He reached over and patted Moira's head and rubbed her ears. He staggered slightly as he got to his feet. "Everyone okay?"

"We're good," Dana replied as she walked closer. She gestured at Moira, "Pretty handy there. What kind of dog is she?" She frowned but grinned as she looked at the very large dog standing next to Sam.

"That is not a dog," Walter countered as he gestured at the two dogs. "That is…"

"They are Wilders," Penelope replied as she approached, "Bred for the hunt and only trainable by those they chose as worthy to work with." She looked at the two Wilders, still in their attack forms. She reached out and gave both a scratch on the ears. "Originally conceived to go after demons, but it was discovered they had a knack for tracking down other supernatural creatures. They can only be bred by those who bear the mark."

"Don't know about that. Angie just took over after their parents decided to outrun Bobby's hose," Dean countered as he took a couple of breaths. He looked at the gear bag that Sam had retrieved and gestured at it, "By the way, how did you do that? Make it appear?"

Sam looked at the bag in his hand and then at Dana who was holding an identical one and shrugged, "Bent, not broken."

"You said that, but what exactly does that mean?"

"It means," Penelope interrupted before it got to a shouting match. She looked at the brothers and then father and daughter before continuing, "That Sam remembered a fundamental rule of our realm. Like any other place, there are rules, but they can be bent. In dreams, gravity is still gravity, but you can still fly. The how… that's the bending of the rules." She pointed to accentuate he explanation. "Dreams are what the dreamer makes it. Sam focused on firepower and what he knew and…" She gestured at it.

"So it appeared out of nowhere?"

Penelope thought about it and shook her head slightly, "Yes and know. Like the rules of writing, you write what you know. The same goes for the people of this town. What you know, even if fantasy can come to life. And with the realms merging…" She leaned forward to drive the point home.

"Meaning what's in our heads can appear," Dana caught on.

"Exactly. Now Brother can fix it but we still have to find the gatekeeper and cleanse him." Penelope looked at the gate. "The gate is clear for now. Let's enter before he gets any other ideas."

Not willing to find out what else could attack them, everyone followed Penelope into the realm. Sam and Dean were apprehensive because Angela hadn't shown up. They were worried that she was in trouble but Sam couldn't sense anything. No pain or anything. Their thoughts were interrupted by Penelope, "Do not worry too much for the Princess of the Nile. She will come when she is needed."

* * *

 **A/N:** Seems Eve and Morpheus have a conversation and Sam and Dean are making their way to the palace minus one. Stay tuned for more Sandman...


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Well this is sure cheery." Dean gave a halfhearted appraisal as he looked around the dark halls. It was a welcome distraction from the fact that his clothes had changed, everyone's did, once they passed through the gate. He wasn't complaining since he at least appeared manly.

It had been amusing to Penelope when they all realized that their clothes had changed. They had been told before they set out that once they passed through the gate, they were to think of what they imagined themselves to be in their dreams. The reason being was that the nightmares that would be sent by the Sandman would be the most potent and a compilation of worst fears, worries… all the things that would cause a nightmare. It would be their shield of sorts.

Dean imagined himself much like his father. He certainly never acknowledged to anyone, but Angela certainly guessed and had a few choice words. She never praised nor she condemned John Winchester; she merely said that he made choices that he thought were best with the thought of keeping what he held dear safe. It was generous in his opinion since he had heard her give her opinion on other things and it was not pleasant. As a result, he was wearing the leather jacket and had more of a rugged look like when he last saw John.

The others ended up what gave them strength. Any other time, it would have produced laughs, but they were in a serious situation and one man short. Angela hadn't arrived and it made Dean nervous about the whole thing. He looked over at Walter and Dana. Walter looked just like himself but like the better than everyone else thing going. Dana looked like a badass biker. She agreed with him, "Some of the bars I've been in have had more life in them than here."

"I think your term is fortress of solitude," Penelope replied as she took a few steps forward and looked around the palace. She was still dressed like how she had been found, but that didn't matter. She looked around with a frown on her face. "But it's home. And it's much more livelier."

Everyone looked around. Dean turned to see Sam just standing there and frowning. He approached his brother and asked, "Dude, you alright?"

"I can hear everyone."

"Yeah. We're talking and making noise." Dean looked around trying to figure out why Sam was being so weird.

"No, I mean I can _hear_ everyone." Sam looked at Dean and made a slight face.

Dean raised his brow, wondering if Sam's wall was crumbling. "Everything okay in your head?"

"It's not that. It's…" Sam paused to lower his voice. He gripped his brother and tried to make him understand, "I can…" He then paused and looked up and turned in a direction.

Dean frowned, "Sam?"

"Moira, Zep, defendere."

Dean blinked as Sam moved quick as in Angela quick and pulled out the chakram that appeared when he entered the palace and threw it. Dean knew that Sam could handle the weapon. Ever since their stint with a tournament and meeting Angela's godly parents Sam retained the know how on that weapon and liked to tease him by spinning it between his fingers despite the sharpness of the edges. Dean watched as Sam moved to catch up to a space that had been previously empty and grabbed what looked like…

Dean knew vampires, the ones that he had hunted and knew that there were different types. He even knew that it was possible that there were half human and half vampires. A no brainer since he was living with one and she was dating his brother. This looked like something out of those classic horror films and a major flashback to Oktoberfest.

"Fuck that was fast!"

Dean had to blink since Sam was standing back and shaking blood off the chakram and frowning in confusion. Dana was looking like she was geeking out and Walter just looked freaked. The priest was really calm and probably that was because of the two huge Wilders protecting him. Penelope was staring off into space but at Sam. He took matters into his own hands and joked, "Superman complex. Fun huh?"

Sam glared at Dean when he heard that. He knew what superhero complex was and that wasn't it. He waited until Dean was close and hissed, "Dean, that was not a super…"

Dean waved his hands in a calming gesture in front his brother. "I know that," he hissed back, "But I know what's wrong with you. Well… got an idea." He leaned in close and asked, "You were thinking about Angie when we walked in didn't you?"

Sam swallowed slightly and looked away. He knew that he was admitting it without saying it. Not looking at Dean, he said, "I thought about the happiest thing in my life." He then shifted to glance at his brother as if to dare him to say otherwise.

Dean got it a voiced, "Hey I get it. You've had a thing for her since you two met." He held up a warning hand, "And makes a lot of sense that you appeared as a biker version of her. I really don't think a duster would work on you."

"Dean…"

"You thought about her, so you became a Sam version of her," Dean blurted as he gestured at him. "Including her speed and apparently hearing. But why do you have control over it. I nearly went crazy when we body swapped."

"Body swap?"

The two brothers turned to see that Dana had approached them and had seemed to listen onto everything. She stepped back and raised her hands saying, "Hey, just seeing if tall guy here is okay."

"I'm fine," Sam said and looked at Dean. He continued like everything was normal, "Just reacted."

"And it shows with that thing," Dana pointed at the chakram. "Pretty cool." She gave a grin.

"You should see him when he plays with it," Dean muttered as he shuffled on his feet. "Look um… we… know about this a little and do this for a living, more or less…"

"As much as this is fun," Walter came up interrupting, "But I think we better get moving." He turned and pointed in the direction of the hall and where the two Wilders were growling at.

Everyone turned to see what looked to be a huge beast along with a bunch of… no idea though Dean was certain was one that looked like a teddy bear and it wasn't the cute and cuddly version. There were a lot of them, and they were not going to be able to fight them all. The best idea was probably to run. But that didn't seem like what Penelope was going to do.

"Anyone have any ideas?" Walter asked the questions but looked at Sam and Dean.

Dean made to answer but for once, he didn't have one. He made a face and looked at the line of nightmares, and he was calling a teddy bear a nightmare, and noted that they were standing there like they were waiting for something. He really had no idea what they were going to do and looked at everyone that was standing there.

"How about you surrender and come quietly," a voice entered. The line parted to reveal the ugliest being ever seen. "It will make the true target come out."

"You seriously underestimate Shifa'," Penelope said as she stared at the ugly being. "And you can fight this. The others will join if you fight the corruption."

"Wait… that's the Sandman?" Sam pointed at the ugly being.

" _The_ Sandman, yes," Penelope replied, still staring at the line of everything. "What happens when evil touches them. They can open the gates for dreamers but…" Her expression became pensive. "The halls have darkened…" Her eyes then glowed, and she looked around. "She is here. The source."

"Source? You mean the Mother of All?" Dean stepped forward and eyed what they were facing.

"Yes," Penelope replied, her eyes still glowing. She looked at the Sandman and his line of troops. "But Brother has something up his sleeve." She grinned in a knowing fashion and nodded. "But she will never have what belongs to the world. And she will never have what has already been taken."

"You can't deny the Mother of All. Not even you, milady," the Sandman replied. "Now make this easy. You know that since they are here physically, death is almost certain if they resist and against real manifestations of their nightmares. And you wouldn't dare risk your precious humans now."

"Persons."

"What?"

Penelope twisted her head sideways. Her eyes hadn't changed from their glowing. She grinned almost playfully like a child, "Persons. All beings pass through the gates to dream. You know this. All are precious and what you've done has threatened their existence. And that, I will not allow." She took a couple of steps forward.

"Don't interfere. Gods are not to interfere."

"My home has been violated by your corruption. I will not stand for it," Penelope groused, almost shouting. She narrowed her eyes at the Sandman as she stepped forward. She eyed his line of troops. None of them had moved as she suspected. She stared at the Sandman long and hard.

"Just bring them to the center room and make it easy on everyone. She only wants the one that is the earthbound angel," the Sandman replied in a tired fashion.

"That will never happen," Penelope replied with a slight shake of her head. "The Mother of All may lure her there but she will never possess her."

The Sandman sighed and motioned for his creations to start moving. He paused when he noticed something out of the ordinary. He frowned and demanded, "Where are they?"

"Where are who?" Penelope raised her brow while smirking. It was one of her rare moments that she was lucid and not staring into space. She shifted on her feet to circle the Sandman as he did the same. "Who are you referring to?"

"Where are the Winchesters?"

"Oh them," Penelope exclaimed like she just had a lightbulb go off in her head. She smirked and rubbed her first two fingers on both hands against her thumbs. "You are in my realm."

"Where are they?" The Sandman narrowed his eyes as his power started to grow. He looked more hideous as it grew. He glared at Penelope as he fisted his hand. "Where are the Winchesters?" In a fit of anger, he lashed out and a line of fire blazed right by her.

Penelope watched it blaze right by her. She recognized scare tactics. She saw them when some of the dreamers relived their worst nightmares. One of them was the one that was going to fix all of this. The Sandman may be corrupted, but he was an amateur and she was hardly impressed. She looked at him with an annoyed look. It was like when Morpheus tried to play pranks on her.

The Sandman was getting angrier at the non-response from the goddess. His hands were clenched in fists as he glared at her. He raised one hand as if to signal. "Last warning."

"You will not have them. Not now, but maybe later," Penelope replied. She gave a slow smile as she stood her ground. Her eyes flashed as she flexed a little of her power. "It is determined that you will meet them on the battlefield. But today isn't it. So I suggest you leave and do what you must."

"You are playing with fire."

"No. You are," Penelope countered. She shifted slightly as she readied herself. "Do anything to the Winchesters and you will invoke the wrath of the Malachi… Eve."

The Sandman stopped and looked at Penelope with a knowing smile. Sighing in mock defeat he shifted to reveal the true visage of Eve, the Mother of All. She gave a small smile, "How did you know it was me?"

Penelope stared at Eve much like an inquisitive child, her eyes glittering orbs to indicate she wasn't going to back down. "We all have our tells. It's a matter of knowing what to look for."

Eve smiled and chuckled. She was impressed. "True. It's how I managed to find her, the Malachi. She is beautiful. In all ways." She walked forward as her smile turned into a one that was looking for vengeance. "And she turned against us."

"The Malachi is the one for all peoples," Penelope replied. "She will release my brother and cleanse the realm."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Eve made a gesture and some growls sounded. "Using this realm, I managed to cook up something special. It will leave a lasting mark on the Winchesters. And will bring her to me." She looked at Penelope and noted the hard expression. "I know you sent the humans into the palace. My monsters will find them. Find them and bring them to me and I will have my fun here and you and your brother will watch."

Penelope grinned and shook her head slightly. She gave a slight shake of her fist and a purple glow engulfed it. There was a reason the supernatural thought she was like an innocent child and didn't take her seriously. Even though she was less reserved in front of the Malachi and the Winchesters, she still kept that part of her hidden. This was a rare time to show it. In a knowing and almost seductive tone, she replied, "Not a chance."

Eve eyed the goddess, surprised at the reaction. She nodded and a knowing smile came across her face as she replied, "Alright," and lashed out in a flash of light.

* * *

Dean paused and looked around and found himself alone. He cursed, "Sonofabitch. This a fricking maze?"

His dog Zeppelin growled and whined. The dog had been in the lead when they split up after they were ambushed by real deal monsters with dream realm capabilities. It seemed the right thing to do to separate and divide the forces. Good in reducing the numbers, but that didn't diminish the strength of the monsters, and it probably wasn't a good idea to let the civilians go off alone.

It was a spur of the moment thing and people broke off when Dean decided it was brilliant to say the word 'break' like it was some football game. They all picked a direction and ran down a hall. Dean ended up with his dog and made several blind turns while being chased by a giant wolf that had longer forelegs than should be and really sharp teeth that didn't belong in a normal canine. Why did he end up with the thing closest to a dog?

There were a lot of things that Dean didn't like and hid, trying to maintain a tough guy look. Honest truth was that he wasn't overly fond of dogs, but it got better when Angela brought in an honest to God hell hound that was obedient to her that defended all of them like they were puppies. Then came Sasha and then the current litter. He was surrounded by them and learned to get over it. Now Zeppelin was his best friend.

He paused and looked around. He could hear Zeppelin growling, so that meant that big hairy beast was somewhere around. He muttered to himself, "Great. Trip down memory lane only this time it's not an ugly whatever it was."

A growl sounded nearby, and it felt like it was right behind him. He whirled around only to find nothing was there. He turned around when he heard another growl. Again, there was nothing there and it was starting to put him on edge. Zeppelin's growling was doing nothing to help except to say that something was out there, but not from where. He was certain that if he had Sam's sissy mutt with him, she would have this wrapped up.

As much as Dean teased Sam about his dog, he had to admit having a harridan beast was pretty handy. He couldn't forget how she tackled an adult hell hound and killed it. Well he thought so since she was covered in blood that night. Zeppelin was good in his own right too. He was a tracker and was like a hellhound. Once he got the scent, he didn't let go. So, the fact that he could still smell the beast was proof of that and it had Dean jealous that he hadn't worked with the dog enough.

 _It's a partnership, Dean. You learn together._

"Yeah, fine time to think about that lesson, Angie," Dean muttered as he held the silver knife he conjured up.

He had taken Sam's advice and conjured a silver knife since he was certain the beastie was a lycanthrope of some kind. He suspected Lupei but there were a few things off. Not that it really mattered. He held the knife in a defensive position, ready to attack. He narrowed his eyes and listened. He blocked out Zeppelin's growling and listened.

It was probably stupid to do so, but it was how he usually worked, and he bellowed, "Come on! I'm right here!"

When nothing happened, he shuffled uneasily and muttered, "And now I feel stupid for sounded like I'm out of a Predator movie."

It grew even quieter and Dean realized that he couldn't hear Zeppelin growling. He was alone, and he knew that wasn't a good thing. It was made even worse when he heard heavy breathing and it wasn't his after really good sex. He swallowed slightly and started to turn slowly, well aware that it was like those movies where the monster was right behind the person about to die.

He regretted it as soon as he looked behind him to see a huge and growling wolf beast. It looked at him, as if to dare him to run. Dean swallowed and looked at it. It hadn't moved, but just stared at him and it looked ready to eat him. Dean could see the drool glistening and dripping out of his mouth. And the thing was huge, as in Cerebus huge when they tried to keep Angela's body from being burned. Then it occurred to him.

It was foolish, but he had to ask, "Is this because I was thinking of hell on four legs?"

The lycanthrope growled and let out a roar. Dean felt the slobber hit in in the face along with noxious breath. He made a face at that and stared at the thing. "Okay then."

Running was always the best option when you didn't know what you faced. Doing it with something that animal instincts, it was the dumbest thing to do, but Dean knew that if he didn't, he risked getting eaten. And that was something he didn't want to happen considering that this wasn't a nightmare and he'd be able to wake up. This was very real, and death was certain if he wasn't careful. So, he ran, and it was a good thing that he did since the thing lunged to take a bite and narrowly missed him.

Dean took off down the hall growling, "Zep! Where are you?"

A roar had Dean look behind him. The thing was behind him and it was ready to take a swipe. Dean ducked when it swiped at him. He got a look at the claws that would definitely have snuffed the life out of him. They were larger than a bear's claws. For a moment, Dean was actually envious and wished that he could take a hit like Angela and be able to walk it off. As it turned out, it was just in time that he thought that because the beast took another swipe and caught him on the shoulder.

The force was enough to send him flying and he crashed into the wall. It caused a dent and stone crumbled as he hit the ground. Dean shook his head dazed and confused since he was certain that he should have been dead with that hit. He felt his body to check and his hand came away with a little blood with a cut to his head. It hurt a little, but not a lot. It took a split second for him to realize what happened and his eyes widened in amazement, "Bent but not broken. Nice, Sammy."

It was short lived though when he heard a growl. He looked to see the Lupei wannabe advancing towards him and looking pissed that he was still alive. "Right," he muttered as he scrambled to his feet. He grabbed the knife and shook the dirt off him. He looked at the beast and twirled the knife in his hand.

The lycanthrope growled and then roared at him. Dean knew that fighting it might be good now that he had more of a hardy body for the time being, but it was still incredibly stupid. He could still die since even his sister was not immortal and could still be hurt. It just took a lot more to do it. He could do this since it was an obstacle to getting where they needed to go.

Readying himself, he held his knife ready. He shrugged his shoulders and muttered, "Well, let's see how this plays out."

The lycanthrope growled and then charged. Dean held his ground, trying not to freak out at the speed the thing was moving. He had to time it just right. Of course, Angela would have probably charged at the thing and tackled it. He wasn't her in that regard, but at least he could try. He braced himself and when the timing was right, he leapt to the side and forward. With a backward swipe, he thrust the knife into the shoulder. His momentum tore a gash into the beast's side, drawing blood. It was enough to be impressive, but not enough to take it down.

Dean was moving fast, but not fast enough and ended up getting kicked by the lycanthrope's hind leg. It caught him in the stomach and knocked the wind out of him and sent him flying. He was lucky that the hind paws were like a dog's and not as sharp. Then he would have been in serious trouble. The force of the blow knocked him to the ground, and he laid there, winded. He looked up to see the beast advancing and looking pissed and ready to pounce.

Dean took a couple of breaths, but he was winded and couldn't move at the moment. He watched as he realized this was it. He swallowed as the beast approached. There was no way he was going to survive that even with his thinking of having Angela's super strength body. The best he could do was to try and take it down with what he had and that was the gun in his jacket. He reached into it slowly as he watched the beast.

It was on him when he cleared it from his jacket. The blow didn't come though. The telltale snarls and growls gave it away. He blinked as he saw his dog latched onto the shoulder and using his claws to fight. It allowed Dean to get to his feet, but he wasn't going to run away. He held up his gun and tried to aim. He didn't want to hit Zeppelin and waited.

The wait was too long. The beast knocked Zeppelin off. Dean saw his dog land and skid on the ground of the hall and the beast turned towards him. It gave Dean a clear shot and he took aim and fired. They weren't wide. The thing was way too fast and dodged the bullets. Dean knew that he had to dodge, or he was going to become that thing's snack lunch.

He managed to jump out of the way at the last moment, but he didn't get away cleanly. He got clipped by the tail and hind leg. It was a good kick and he went flying. He instinctively tucked to avoid serious injury as he collided with something wooden. He heard the shattering of wood and some of it landed on him.

"Dean?"

Dean frowned and looked up, debris falling from his body. He found himself in a rotunda room with a basin in the center. He turned to find the god of dreams that he remembered so well and… Sam? "Sammy?"

The respite was short lived since a growl came from behind him. Dean froze slowly and turned to look behind him. Right. He gave a slight annoyed toss. "Can't I catch a break anywhere?" He growled out his question as he got to his feet.

The beast growled and launched forward. Dean knew he had to do what he did best and that was protect Sam. He started to run since the thing noticed Sam and was heading towards him. He leapt in front to protect him just as something else collided with it. It was Zeppelin and Moira, tag teaming it.

It gave time to get to his brother and ask, "You okay?"

Sam nodded, "I'm good. Just trying to get him free." He gestured at the god of dreams. He went back to trying to tug on the chains holding the god captive.

"It won't work."

Both brothers turned to see the thing they saw earlier. It was holding onto Dana and Walter and flung them forward. They were unconscious. The Sandman looked at the brothers. "Now I have you all where I want." He gave a signal.

The Winchesters winced when they heard the yelps from Moira and Zeppelin as they landed hard on the ground with bleeding wounds. They looked at the Sandman as he looked at them with a sardonic grin as he said, "Now let it begin."

* * *

 **A/N:** They make it to the palace, but end up separated and things seem to be more than they appear. Stay tuned for next time on Sandman...


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 _Now let it begin._

Sam and Dean swallowed at that as multiple creatures, the kind that they were used to hunting appeared. They were vastly outnumbered. Vaguely they heard Morpheus behind them saying, "Anything here is more potent. If they can kill you, they will."

That much they knew. Penelope had warned them when they went in and so did Angela when she proposed the plan. They glanced at Walter and Dana. They were both sporting cuts and what looks like the formation of bruises. They looked at the Sandman questioningly.

"They're alive. For how long is up to you," the Sandman gestured at the Winchesters. "You summon your friend. The Mother of All will be pleased, and she will leave this place."

"No way," Sam blurted out.

Dean internally winced. He knew Sam was never going to give up their girl and he would be impulsive about it. At this point, Sam was willing to sacrifice others if to protect Angela. It wasn't that his brother was a bad person. It was that whole thing about them being mates and his brother was still learning how it worked.

"You're willing to risk them for a thing?" The Sandman gestured at the unconscious pair. He smirked at the Winchesters. "Now that's more like what I've heard. Anything at all costs."

Sam swallowed at that and felt pained at that. It had been reaction that he said that. It was how he felt because he loved her, but it was also part of the mating thing they had. He wouldn't sacrifice people, but he wasn't going to give her up either. "I'm not giving her up and you won't hurt them," he clarified.

"Can't have both in this. One or the other."

"Hey, you get nothing. You're getting cleaned up," Dean pointed out. It sounded ridiculous, but he made the point. He tried to ignore Morpheus' chuckling at his choice of words.

"And that would work if you had what you needed," the Sandman pointed out, "Like sage and other cleansing herbs."

It then occurred to Sam and he demanded, "Where's Penelope?"

"What?"

Morpheus looked up the moment he heard his sister's name. He looked around and saw that she wasn't there. She would know the ins and outs of the palace better than anyone. However, he sent her away to protect her from this. Why would she come back? It occurred to him and he closed his eyes to try to control his temper, but he couldn't. He looked at Sam, eyes narrowed, "What did you mean by that?"

"Oh, just the fact that the goddess decided to return thinking that she could fix things," the Sandman countered with a smirk. "Don't blame them. Blame the pet that you've trained and kept tabs on. It was her idea."

Morpheus studied the Sandman. While he may be corrupted, sandmen in general were not prone to lies. Their job was to open the gates to dreamers. Their interaction with beings was minimal. So, he knew that what the Sandman was saying was true. He turned a glaring eye to Sam and Dean and demanded, "You let her do this?"

"No one makes me do anything brother."

"Ah," the Sandman grinned, "Seems like it was a success." He looked at Penelope as she entered and grinned, "Did you have fun, my lady?"

Morpheus looked at his sister. He knew what she was capable of, but it was highly unstable. They both agreed it was safer for her to be in her almost childlike state. Becoming self-aware opened her up to corrupting influences and with her power, it could prove disastrous. They had played right into Eve's hands. He took a stuttering breath. "Penelope."

Penelope looked at her brother and the Winchesters. She eyed the two bodies on the ground. Everything was playing as it should, but the timing was off. Timing was everything. Even in dreams, it was all about timing. She looked around before giving a slight smile that meant nothing in general, but they would see otherwise, "Eve messed things up brother, but I intend to fix it. Fix everything."

"Penelope, you know self-awareness threatens the balance."

"That is what you say, dear brother," Penelope countered Morpheus. She noticed that Winchesters tried to move. With a flare of her eyes she made a few creatures appear and grab them. "Don't resist, you two. They are made to counter whatever you conjure. Especially you Sam. I know you know the basics of the rules."

Sam stepped back even though he was restrained. "Penelope," he tried, "Stop."

"Don't try it," the Sandman warned.

"Let him," Penelope replied, "It's kind of fun to watch them try to reason. Even when they know that they don't' stand a chance, they still try. Even in nightmares." She gave a smile at Sam, letting it linger and then moving it to Dean. "Nightmares are just… riveting. Especially when they contain deep, dark secrets that people don't share."

Dean tensed when Penelope looked at him. He didn't like the look that she was giving him. He glanced at Morpheus and it surprised him, but the god looked scared. That told him that he should be worried about what was going on and what was going to happen. He looked back at the goddess and he really didn't like the look that she was giving him.

It occurred to him that she was toying with the idea of deep diving into his head. He was a good target since he had a ton of crap that gave him nightmares. His memories of hell still tormented him, including his deep seated fear that he had been harboring since the day his dad told him that he might have to kill Sam. He glanced at his brother and he realized that Sam had just as bad in his head and it terrorized him more because of the wall in his brother's head.

Sam had little to no memories of hell. After their encounter in Bristol, it had Dean worried that anything that reminded Sam of what he did without a soul and of hell would bring down the Great Wall of Sam and… It had Dean swallow. Penelope wouldn't do that though. Would she? He looked at the goddess. He _really_ didn't like the look on her face. He voiced, "Penelope…."

"So, you're volunteering? What a good big brother," Penelope crooned. She simpered and stepped towards Dean. She waved away her creations since she knew he wouldn't try to run. "And don't think about calling your dogs."

A whimper caught Dean's attention. He turned to see the dogs whimpering and struggling in a cage. He glanced at Penelope. "Your realm, your rules, right?" He looked at her with a raised brow.

"Now you're getting it," Penelope replied with a smile. She reached up and touched Dean's face, stroking his cheek, feeling the stubble, studying him. "Of course, rules are meant to be broken. It's just not today."

Dean kept still. He half expected her touch to be cold and unfeeling. It was actually the opposite. Much like when Lucifer mentioned that he ran cold instead of hot and he saw the proof then. He wasn't sure of what to make of it.

"Penelope don't do this," Morpheus interrupted, trying to get through to his sister. "You know that they are physically here. Everything is ten times more potent and it can _kill_ them!"

Penelope looked at Morpheus, "Yes, I know. That was the point of coming back."

Morpheus looked at his sister wide eyed. "Don't!"

Penelope gave a simpering smile at Morpheus before turning to Dean. She looked at him and asked, "Are you ready, Dean Winchester? Are you ready to take the worst and all to protect your brother?"

Dean really didn't want to do this. But it was him or Sam and he wasn't about to risk his brother's wellbeing. He was doing what he had always done, and it was what he was certain that Angela would have done. In either case, it was him or Sam and it was better that he do it. Swallowing, he nodded and replied softly, "Do your worst. Just know that… that Angie…"

"I'll do it."

Dean turned a glaring eye to Sam, "Sam."

Sam ignored Dean. He looked at Penelope with a determined look. It hid that he was scared of what she was going to do. Dean thought he had it bad, but Sam had just as bad things. Some of them he didn't remember, and he knew Dean's concern was the wall in his head. It was playing with fire, but if he could spare Dean from agony… He repeated, "I'll do it."

Penelope looked at Sam and then at Dean with a raised and knowing brow. She smirked and asked, "Are you really sure you want to play the hero brother, Sam? There is that phrase about searching; that you may not like what you find."

Sam swallowed slightly at that. He was terrified at that possibility. There were things buried and things that… Yet, if they were going to have a shot at this, Dean was the one that knew everything about herbs and their properties. It was a girly thing, but the one thing that Angela taught and drove into his head. Steeling his nerves, he nodded, "I'll do it. Leave Dean alone."

Dean growled, "Sam…"

"Too late," Penelope replied as she shot a look at Dean. Her eyes were narrowed, and they were flaring. "The choice was made. You have to admit that it is either very brave or very foolish of Sam to volunteer, considering that the danger is all in his head." She glanced over at her brother and smirked, "And admit it, Brother, you are curious."

Morpheus narrowed his eyes at his sister and growled when he heard the Sandman chuckling. He looked over and snapped, "This must be amusing for you. You have _no_ idea of the consequences."

"Yes, I do," the Sandman replied with a chuckle as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I rarely get to see the end result once I open the gates. And I am curious about what a hunter dreams about. Do they really think about the things they have done?" He gave a pointed look at Dean. "Some gates are just plain scary."

Morpheus gritted his teeth and tried again, "Penelope, please. Stop."

"You think you know everything, Brother?" Penelope turned sharply to look at Morpheus. Her eyes flared and her voice warped as she became agitated. "Perhaps it was right that Eve bound you. You always like to play with them."

"You know that's not true," Morpheus replied in a calm tone. "This world is only what the dreamer makes of it."

"And you _never_ interfere," Penelope mocked him. She gave a tinkling laugh. "But then again you never tell when you decide to mess with a few individuals you say deserve it."

Morpheus quieted. He would admit that he was guilty of that, but only because they truly did deserve it. Some people were just born bad. No guilt or remorse. Some were exceptions. Like Sam, when he was soulless. "There are exceptions," he replied as he looked at Sam. "When they find time to sleep."

The Sandman snorted at that, "Enough. My lady, please let's get this show moving."

Penelope had been watching her brother, noting how quiet and small he became. She looked at everyone else and turned towards the Sandman. He was looking impatient and ready to take matters into her own hand. She looked all around and up at the ceiling. Sighing in impatience she looked at the Sandman. "If you had been playing attention, you would have seen that it has already begun."

"I was wondering when you'd bring me out to play. Been awhile since I've seen dear, Sammy."

All eyes turned to the owner of the voice. Dean could hardly believe it and blinked as he saw his brother, well a replica of Sam standing in front of his brother. Sam looked like he had seen a ghost. Perhaps he should be glad that it had nothing to do with hell. That didn't mean that this was better. This clearly had Sam looking like he wanted to bolt. And that was not something that he associated with his brother, the second best hunter on the planet.

The double of Sam was smirking, eerily looking like Sam's soulless self. He walked towards Sam with an air of confidence that was… intimidating. He looked at Sam, his dark, lifeless eyes, glittering and scoffed, "You really are pathetic. You never really got rid of me."

Sam stared at his other self. "I did."

"You buried me. Thinking you can live and not know exactly what you have done?"

It was a similar scenario except the backhand was harder than Sam had previously. It was enough to send him flying and it didn't end there. He looked up to see the things he had done, but unfortunately didn't know. Dean did and he glowered at Penelope, "You bitch! What are you trying to pull?"

"The same thing you try… Boy."

Dean gasped and turned. He felt his throat convulse as he turned to stare at the nightmare that he hadn't had in a long time but remembered clearly. From his first time using dream root. He looked at his demon self and shook his head. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"Speechless, I see," Dean's doppelganger spoke with a grin. "Didn't think about me, but I was always there. Lurking. Especially after you got out. Wondering if what we talked about really happened."

Dean glanced over at Sam. His brother had gotten to his feet and was looking at his double and a bunch of other characters. When he turned back, he saw his demon self with a bunch of others. He recognized them from the past four years of hunting. He looked at Penelope and repeated, "You bitch."

"I suggest you fight or flight," she repeated.

Dean turned and saw the beast from earlier lunge at him. That was great. He turned and ran but couldn't get away. He was surrounded by the past, his nightmares. He did the only thing he could do and that was to fight them off. He looked over to see Sam doing the same thing and Morpheus was standing there with his eyes closed and it looked like he was chanting something. That was great. He shouted, "Maybe you can do something instead of sitting there you worthless god."

"Better you pay attention, Boy," Dean's double interrupted, getting close. He gave Dean a hard punch. "The fun is just beginning."

Dean felt his body turn away from his demon double, but he didn't go down. He staggered a bit and gripped his jaw where he had been hit. He wasn't sure what he expected. He didn't anticipate the punch being that hard. Maybe he did. He knew that things were ten times ore real and deadly when he wasn't asleep. He turned to look at his demon double and swallowed, not saying anything. His double was grinning at him while the other things from his past were watching, all amused by his being beat upon. His eyes narrowed.

"Dreams may be whatever the dreamer makes it to be," Penelope was saying. She was smirking at the brothers, amused that Sam was trying to stand strong but faltering. "But really they all have a basis in what has been buried. One might even say… your worst fears."

"Ooo, I like that," the Sandman piped up. He watched them both as the brothers eyed their doubles warily. "So, they really are scared of themselves," he stated more than asked.

Penelope didn't say anything but watched what the brothers were going to do. Her expression was one of amusement, but it didn't change. It was more scrutinizing, like when she observed dreams. She watched as it became a stare off. She found it most peculiar that they didn't attempt anything, but she considered the possibility of a means to fight against what was conjured.

Sam and Dean stared at their doubles, not moving. The doubles were doing the same. Almost like they wouldn't move unless they did. That might work in their favor, but there was the possibility that their doubles were messing with them. They had heard it multiple times that in this realm, pretty much anything goes; they shape it. It was what they were counting on.

"You know," the demon double of Dean mused, "This could be made much more interesting." He grinned as he eyed his double and Sam.

"What do you mean?" The double of Sam continued to stare at the real Sam. They were locked in a stare off, one that either could win. The double didn't shift but managed to glance over at the demon double of Dean.

"What I know you know it means," the demon double said. He looked at the double of Sam and grinned. "Make the dream more like a… nightmare."

The dark Sam looked away from the real Sam to give a hard look at the demon Dean. They locked eyes and seemed to communicate silently and come to an understanding. It was a look that the real Sam and Dean knew too well. They were close enough to communicate silently, and the look they were seeing was not very reassuring.

"You don't think it's too much?" Dark Sam turned to look at the brothers as he spoke.

"Nah." Demon Dean shrugged his shoulders like it was nothing. "I'm sure you're bored with the usual you do. I mean it's always the same." He made a mocking gesture at the real Sam.

Dark Sam gave a nod of agreement, "True. It's always the same. Such issues. Enough to fill a book." His grin was mocking them. He then looked at the two lying on the ground. They were starting to stir. He gestured at them. "What about them?"

Demon Dean looked at Walter and Dana as they came to. They blinked in confusion and looked around. Dana was the one that asked, "Father Roussell?"

It then occurred to Sam and Dean that the priest was missing. Both looked at the Sandman and Dean demanded, "Where is the padre?" As if to agree with him, Zeppelin and Moira began growling at the Sandman even though they couldn't move or do anything to help the humans in trouble.

The Sandman shrugged like it was nothing. "Don't know. Maybe his worst nightmare took care of him," he offered in a nonchalant voice. "Of course, it's your fault that you let him tag along." He gave a pointed look at the humans. "You brought in someone that has no clue to the risk of encountering something that is very real and could kill you."

"Yeah, we get that," Dean pointed out while trying to keep an eye on his double. "His choice."

"And that is what you're going with?" The Sandman gave a pointed look at the Winchesters. "But that's right. You're all about free will. It's what brought about the way things ended. No prize fight, but you left the door open for something else and now…" He made a meaningless gesture. "Why can't they leave you both dead?"

"Because of the door being opened is the reason the Winchesters must live," Penelope replied as she stepped forward. She gave a speaking glance at Sam but moved closer towards Dean. The dark double moved to let her pass. She stood in front of Dean and looked at him, studied him and noted how he stood still, like he wasn't sure of what to do.

"Hey, we don't even know each other," Dean sputtered as he raised his hands in the universal sign to back off.

"And yet you've shagged tail you would never see again," Penelope countered, as her lip twitched in vocabulary she hardly used if ever. "So, what makes you so nervous to have a woman that shows the slightest interest come so close?" She mused on it like it was a scientific question.

Dean said nothing at first. He swallowed and then replied, "I don't mess with something that could make me explode into human soup."

Penelope smiled at that, "Always a gentleman. Even in your dreams." She reached out and ran her fingers through Dean's hair. She trailed her hand down his face and watched his reaction. It was most amusing. She leaned forward and whispered, "And often it is what people don't see that saves the day." She leaned forward and kissed Dean full on the lips.

Everyone watched wide eyed as Penelope kissed Dean much like a lover would. Morpheus had opened his eyes in time to see and was struck speechless. The kiss went on longer than it should have and was a testament to the fact that the goddess of the dream realm was self-aware and possibly on a self-destructive path. At least that's what Morpheus was thinking, and he made a sound of disgust.

Penelope ended the kiss and smirked at Dean, "Remember that." She turned to look at the dark doubles and said, "Have your fun. This is after all the realm of dreams."

The dark Dean grinned and looked at the dark Sam. They shared a nod and walked forward. At one point they crossed paths and launched forward, dark Dean grabbing Sam and dark Sam going after Dean. Sam grappled with his brother's darker self and held on, surprised at the strength that was present in something that was figment of the imagination. Yet, it was like the other times they grappled, usually Dean was messing with him.

That wasn't the end of it. While Sam and Dean were busy, the Sandman decided to have fun with Dana and Walter. He signaled to the creatures he created and gestured at the pair. He caught the look from Penelope and shrugged, "You're getting fun with the Winchesters. I'm just entertaining myself until she arrives. She is coming, right?"

Penelope stared at the Sandman. She raised her brow and replied, "Do you doubt?"

It was rhetorical in nature but served a purpose. Penelope turned to watch the Winchesters grapple with each other's dark half. People didn't realize that they revealed much of themselves in their dreams. Their secrets, their fears… all of it manifesting here. That was the point of dreams though. It was deep stuff which was why they occurred when the person was asleep. Fully awake and conscious… it was deep diving.

"Dean, you don't want to do this," Sam looked at his brother's dark half as he wielded the demon killing knife. It was pointless, but he had to try.

Dark Dean chuckled as he twirled the demon killing knife in his hand. He studied his handiwork. He had already laid a few slices on Sam's forearms when he tried to defend himself. Dean wasn't faring much better, getting his ass kicked since dark Sam was more to using hands and feet. He looked at Sam and replied, "Oh I want to. Don't you remember? Dad said I might have to kill you. And that nice little recording I left you… I meant every damn word."

Sam swallowed, trying hard not to let the words sink in. In his mind, he knew this place was playing on his thoughts and feelings and manifesting them. He winced since the knife wounds stung. They were very real injuries. He was distracted when he heard Dana yelp. He looked to find her getting pinned by several monsters and they weren't the supernatural variety. It dawned on him what was happening and his and Dean's dogs were powerless to stop it. He started to move.

The pain came suddenly and stunned him as Sam felt his back slam against the wall. His eyes were wide as he looked at dark Dean, inches from his face and his hand next to his face. It took a second to process that the hand was connected to the knife, which was currently buried in his shoulder. Dark Dean was leaning in close and grinning, "You looked away, boy. Now you're gonna pay the price."

Sam grunted as the knife was pulled out and blood gushed out. He heard Dana screaming, Walter was shouting something. Dean… he had no idea what was going on. All he saw was dark Dean looking at him with a grin of satisfaction with the bloody knife raised. His hand was over the wound as he stared at his brother until he sudden wasn't there.

"Did I miss something?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Sam and Dean make it but now they are confronted with their most darkest of thoughts and nightmares. And an ally seems to have gone dark side. Will they succeed? Keep watching for more Sandman...


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 _Did I miss something?_

Dean was used to his girl popping out at the strangest of times. But it was always when they needed it the most. He hadn't failed to see what was happening to Dana. He just couldn't believe that the goddess that had helped him previously was letting it happen. Then again Morpheus was concerned about it, like he knew what happened, but he was powerless to do anything about it.

He could handle his dark self. He couldn't handle dark Sam though. It brought back memories of trying to keep his soulless brother in check. Except this one was also a manifestation of what Sam feared the most. And yet Dean couldn't understand it fully. What he did understand was that this Sam held the fears he had too, his brother heading back down the slippery slope… and it was trying to kill him.

He was facing the business end of a demon version of Sam when that dark Sam was swiped out of the way. Dean watched as what looked like a giant snake slithered through the entire room. It was huge and it took out his dark half. He tracked it as it dropped the bodies and slithered or flew around and landed but looking like a guy next to none other than Angela. He blinked.

She looked a little worse for the wear, sporting abrasions and cuts and maybe a bruise or two, like she had been in a fight, but she was on her feet and ready to kick ass. She also changed from her yoga getup. It was the same thing she wore when they went to face to face with Lucifer. She looked like a Jedi master, her words, but it suited her, and she was wearing that scarf Castiel gave her. She was completely bad ass and all he had to say was, "Nice timing, Angie."

Angela smirked at Dean, her lip curling in amusement. The cut on her lip made her lip look more attractive it was no wonder Sam liked to kiss her when he got the chance. She replied, "Better late than never, right big brother?"

Dean chuckled at that. He never understood why she would call him that. She always said it like an honorific or something. It warmed his heart because she felt that way about him, the same as he felt about her. She was family, they were family and they looked after each other. He straightened up, wincing from the blows dark Sam gave him, "You're always on time sweetheart."

Angela smirked and would have said something but was interrupted by the Sandman, "Finally, you've arrived. And not alone it seems." He looked at Angela and her companion. "Impressive."

"Well I learned a few things training in this realm," Angela replied with a shrug.

The Sandman grinned, "Good. And you did well too, milady." He gave a mocking bow to Penelope.

"Of course." Penelope stared at Angela. They locked gazes and stared at each other.

Dean watched the whole thing as he sidled over to Sam. His brother was leaning against the wall and wincing with pain. It hurt when his brother jerked at his touch and Dean saw the momentary fear in his eyes. His dark half must have done a number on Sam and his first thoughts were on the Great Wall of Sam. He ventured, "Sam?"

Sam was trying to process what he was seeing and was aware that he appeared to be out of it. He was just relieved that Angela was there, and she was more or less okay. He really hated it that they separated when they did, but he clung to the thought that it was the best idea they had. He was also a bit mad at himself. He thought he was prepared for this, but the truth was… He knew that he hurt his brother when he flinched at his touch. There was definitely a talk in the future. He calmed down and replied, "I'm okay, Dean."

Dean wasn't too sure, but Sam had calmed down and shot him a look he knew so well. He decided not to press since he knew that Sam would just clam up. Besides, they had more pressing things to worry about. He studied his brother before turning to look at Angela as she stared at Penelope. He was tempted to say something, but he didn't. He got the feeling that if he did, something was going to happen, and it wasn't something that he would like.

Angela stared at Penelope with a bland expression as her companion disappeared. It was nothing more than a figment of her imagination. Her ability to manipulate the elements of that realm. And she learned from the master.

Penelope stared at Angela. She was fascinated at how the woman didn't flinch when faced with the very real possibility of facing the things that she feared the most. Now that she was here, things could get moving. She stared at the woman and gave a slight nod before looked at the Sandman and added, "But the real fun is here. The Malachi of Absolution is formidable."

"Which is why, we're ready to have out fun," dark Dean said as he dusted himself off. "I'll admit I was bored looking at that pathetic bag of pus." He gestured at Sam.

"And he's a mama's boy," dark Sam gestured at Dean, giving a sardonic grin.

"Composite of both brothers in each," Angela commented. "I'm impressed."

"You know as well as anyone here that once a thing is created, it can be changed," Penelope replied with a discerning eye at Angela. Her gaze centered on the woman and stared. "Touched by all who are in its presence."

The dark Sam and Dean grinned knowingly at Angela as they moved to try and gain an advantage. The Sandman was amused by the whole thing. He looked at everyone else and said, "Now, while have them watch…" He snapped his fingers and the things he had there previously reappeared. "Let's have everyone have some fun."

"But I think the Winchesters deserve something special," Penelope interrupted. She made a gestured and there was a loud thump on the door.

Sam and Dean had enough of this, but they were not ones to back down from a job, even if it was testing every nerve they had. This latest edition to their problems… it was definitely going to test them. Dean figured it was going to test Sam more than him because this newest edition was none other than the darker half of their girl.

Angela watched the appearance of her darker half and shot a bored look at Penelope and the Sandman, saying, "This again?"

"Gotta have some fun," the Sandman replied.

"Old," Angela countered and snapped her fingers. Her darker half was imprisoned. "Now this ends. You will be purified, and the gateways restored before the realms completely merge. You know there are certain rules about thi—"

At that moment, Angela was interrupted when something flew at her. She reacted to catch it. Realizing it was a knife, she followed through and with the momentum still in the throw, she threw it back where it lodged in the chest of one of the nightmares conjured. The dark versions of Sam and Dean looked at her work, impressed and both grinned at her and charged forward.

That was the signal for the other nightmares to charge forward. Sam and Dean, free for the moment of having to deal with something that they weren't willing to deal with but would if they had to, charged to help Walter and Dana, protecting them. Dean took the opportunity to free the dogs since more nightmares were coming and they needed every advantage they could get. In the meantime, Sam went to do the job that he was now in perfect position to be in. A job that he didn't think would have an opening like it did.

 _Sam didn't like the idea of going into the belly of the beast. It wasn't him he was concerned about. It was her. She was still having trouble sleeping and he knew she still saw Lucifer. He knew that she talked to him and mostly to resolve a difficult situation, but she knew was the right option. The current one was what she asked him to do._

" _No matter what, I need you to do this."_

" _And what about you?"_

" _Traveling through zones to finish it."_

There had been some argument between him and her because she hinted at the possibility that it was dangerous. Possibly life threatening since they were heading to the dream realm wide awake. They were willing to take the risk. His concern was that she would start arguing with herself and be distracted. She wasn't invincible. They both knew that.

He kept his eye on the parties involved and reached into his pocket. He was on his hands and knees panting, trying not to wince at the fact that Dean was taking a few hard blows and Walter and Dana were trying hard. Morpheus was useless since the bindings prevented him from using his powers. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out the chalk and started drawing on the ground.

" _What is this?"_

" _The key to purification."_

" _I thought sage would…"_

" _Sometimes, you need something a little stronger."_

Sam continued drawing on the ground. He would pause occasionally as he recalled what he was supposed to draw. He had it memorized, he had to because he had to be ready to react and work under pressure. Nothing he hadn't done before, but he didn't have time to scramble for a piece of paper. Besides, he was familiar with what he was supposed to do, and he trusted her.

He was surprised at how fast he was moving until he realized that he was at the last place that he needed to be. He took a deep breath and started drawing around what he was supposed to be near. He tried not to wince when he heard his brother grunt and what sounded like a dull crunch. He didn't want to think that his brother broke something. Then again it would be amusing to put him under Angela's hand…

Sam had barely finished when he was grabbed from behind. It was a bruising grip and vaguely familiar. He didn't have much time to think about it since he was gripped like he would a heavy duffle and thrown across the room. He hit at wall and the air rushed out of his lungs and he landed on the ground face down.

"Trying to sneak attack? Not very Sam of you is it?"

Sam gritted his teeth as he pushed himself up and looked up. He shook his head slightly. "You shouldn't be…"

"You really have no clue about this world, do you?"

* * *

Angela lifted her forearm to block the overhead blow. She countered by grabbing the second strike and turned to fling her attacker aside. She shook her wrists and two scrima appeared. She twirled him as her opponent got to his feet and was joined by his partner.

"Not bad… for a blood bitch."

Angela smirked at the dark version of Dean, "You never were original about name calling." She twirled her scrima and pointed one at dark Sam and added, "And he is predictable in certain maneuvers."

Dark Dean glanced at Dark Sam and grinned, "She does know us, brother. But does she know all of us?"

Angela stared at both of them as they conjured up weapons of their own. They were the bladed kind and intended to inflict injury. Her weapons could too, but she was inclined to use brute force. If she needed to kill, she had means. She twirled her blades and grinned slightly as she said, "Then I guess now is a good time as any."

Dark Dean nodded as he scoffed, "Good."

The initial charge was meant to gain an advantage. Dark Sam and Dean took the chance to gain the upper hand early in the game and went in swinging. They went in fighting dirty, something that was the truth. They were conglomerations of the real thing and then some; the things that they were aware of but afraid to acknowledge. Since the realm absorbed from who they were facing, they were also what Angela perceived them to be. Arguably they were the most powerful of anything conjured within the dream realm.

Angela knew the risk of not only facing what Sam and Dean feared of themselves, but the added bonus that they were also what she thought they saw in her. She wasn't one to claim that she was immune to the effects of the dream realm. Even when Morpheus trained her, she was susceptible to the things that she feared. The first time had her bawling and it was when she faced the demon that killed her. It made her almost catatonic.

Morpheus may have been sadistic about it, but like her motto, there was a method to the madness. He kept at it, teaching her to lock it down. He kept going back to when she first died. The culmination was when she learned that her father gave his life for hers, what happened and what escalated it to leading her to be the dark creature that was feared and held in awe. The hero that was told in stories, the one that she didn't know about.

Now, it seemed that once again those skills were being put to the test. She held her weapons and waited for them to attack. She felt the thrill of battle tingle down her spine as dark Dean led the attack with the blade that he had conjured followed by Sam. She was ready for it and blocked and countered with her scrima.

There was a reason for being taught by various masters in combat. It gave her an advantage but also prepared her for the things she would have to face. She had taught the real Sam and Dean certain skills and now their darker halves were using it against her, with a little bit of her own perceptions. It was a grueling fight and if she wanted to really think about it, it was what she had been trying to get out of them when she had been training them. Sam especially.

The clank of metal against metal and metal against skin was rhythmic. She had a couple of good hits from fists and bruises were added to the collection that she already amassed. They were nothing. She needed to buy time for the players in her plan to do their part. And she needed to do hers and hope that things wouldn't turn into a complete disaster.

The right cross caught her across the jaw and allowed dark Sam to knock her scrima aside. Another blow knocked her into the wall that contained her darker self, dislodging what she had set in place. She landed hard on her hands and knees, scraping her palms on the stone floor. She ended up slipping and going completely down.

"Now that one looked like it hurt." It was followed by a chuckle and forced Angela to look up at the source.

Lucifer was standing there looking amused at the whole thing. Flanking him were the darker versions of Dean and Sam, each ready to strike. She wanted to curse the fact that she was seeing Lucifer now. That meant that she was under enough stress to induce it or it was the fact that she was in the middle of making a decision that was either crazy or one of those hard ones that you never knew what you were going to do until the moment came.

Angela knew better than to say anything, but she felt the need. She chuckled as she spat out some blood. Pushing herself up, she looked at the dark versions of Sam and Dean and said, "That was nothing." Her gaze glanced over at Lucifer to indicate that remark was made for him. She got to her knees to allow her to breathe but her gaze never left them.

"Oh, you would say that," Lucifer said as he paced between the dark Sam and Dean. He grinned at her, amused at everything. "After all, physical pain is nothing to you. You can take beating after beating… you proved that with my brother in hell. It's the emotional…"

Angela stared at her opponents, mostly at Lucifer. At the moment, he was standing with the dark Winchesters, so she didn't have to spill the beans per se. She looked at them and blinked slowly at Lucifer. She knew where this was going. She had to hold it together.

Lucifer talking her ear off was nothing. She could ignore it and she had a good day. The bad days came when she dared to think about what happened in hell when the individual sessions went on. And it had nothing to do with Michael. It was always with Lucifer. It was what gave her nightmares and kept her up at night; what she almost told Sam a couple of times.

Looking at Lucifer she struggled to hold onto her emotions as he grinned at her. She had to control it because then the darker Sam and Dean would pick up on it and then, following the rules of the dream realm, would integrate it into themselves and use it against her. Her throat convulsed as she stared at them.

"I mean… we had so much fun in hell," Lucifer replied with a grin. He stepped forward to get close to her. He kneeled next to her and started playing with her hair. "You remember this. My touch on your skin. How it made your body feel."

Angela gritted her teeth as she felt the touch on her skin. She remembered well what happened. Her reaction to everything. She ground her teeth hard and she could feel her canines threatening to show. She couldn't give in.

"This is the great Angie," dark Dean mocked. He gestured at her. "More like a cowardly blood bitch. I mean she won't even drink blood until she's almost dead. Right Sammy?" He glanced over at dark Sam.

Dark Sam stared at her. It was similar to the stares that he would give her except there was no warmth in it. He didn't react though. It was like he was thoughtful about what he was seeing. Angela took advantage of that. She hated the fact that Lucifer was still touching her, but she had to do what she came to do.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and focused. Lifting her head, she looked at the dark Winchesters and opened her eyes. She didn't give them an inch as she jumped to her feet and started delivering kicks and punches, throwing her dhampir abilities into the mixed; her increased speed and strength. Dean would have said that it was like watching a kung fu movie or something like that and she would have given a grin at him for that and said with an almost puzzled look that it was more like _The Matrix_.

It was like that movie, the very thing she was telling them. The bending and breaking of the dream realm's rules. She pivoted and used the wall to push off. In mid-air, she delivered a few kicks that knocked dark Dean down. She landed and took a breath.

"Not bad," Lucifer taunted. "More like a side show."

Ignoring him, Angela pivoted and saw dark Sam coming at her. He had gripped her shoulder with one hand and the other gripped her by the waist. With ease, he lifted her and flung her into the wall. She grunted as she heard the shattering of stone behind her. Dark Sam still had a grip on her, and she took advantage of that. She gripped him and when he moved to sling her into the wall again, she used her momentum and flipped herself over.

She had a grip on dark Sam's arm and when she landed, she twisted his arm to flip him over. She then locked her foot on his neck in a submission maneuver. She looked down at him as he stared at her with dark and cold eyes. This was not the worst thing she imagined with him.

"Go ahead. Do it," Lucifer taunted. "After all, he is dark side. He's dangerous. And you know what you have to do to the dangerous ones. You've done it before."

Angela stared down at dark Sam as he stared up at her with that knowing look. She knew that it wasn't her real Sam. Her Sam she knew would fight and beg her to do the right thing. This one wasn't. It was what could have happened if she hadn't interfered as much as she had. She still felt that she could have done better, but she knew that things could have been much worse, especially if Dean had said yes and they both duked it out.

"Can't do it can you?" Lucifer sighed as if bored with the whole thing. He had leaned against the wall and propped his chin on his hand. "Always that pesky humanity getting in the way. I mean, before you met him you could have easily taken care of it. No guilty. No nothing. Just getting the job done."

Angela looked sharply at Lucifer. She then saw her Sam getting hit on by her darker half. She had forgotten that she had damaged the cage she created. She didn't know if he had done what needed to be done and while he knew what to do… he wasn't as skilled. Not that she would trade that in for this colder version. She looked at Lucifer.

"Decisions, decisions. That's all you're ever faced with," he mocked, still looking bored.

Angela looked downward at dark Sam. She replied, "No one said the right decision was easy." With a deft twist of her foot, she broke dark Sam's neck and he went still. She dropped the arm and looked at the lifeless dark eyes staring at her.

"Always knew you were a killer you blood bitch. A monster."

Angela let out a breath that almost sounded like a whimper. She turned to see that dark Dean had gotten up. He was sporting a cut to his temple, but his eyes still held that pitch black darkness. She looked at him and replied sadly, "And that is what the base instinct tells you. Right?"

Dark Dean looked a little startled that she said that. He shifted in his spot and looked at her. His eyes narrowed at her, "What are you playing at?"

Angela shook her head, "Nothing." She noted the look of confusion and she heard the snickering of Lucifer behind her. She focused on the dark Dean and stepped forward. "When we first met, your initial instincts were to lash out, try to kill me. You've always seen things in black in white. In the beginning."

Dark Dean stood there looking at her, "You are a monster. The things you've done…"

"The things I've done…" Angela scoffed a little at that. She gave a slight shake of her head. It was to hide what she was listening for. She looked at the darker version of Dean. "It's easy to judge on a decision one hasn't had to make. Understanding is the difficulty in them since, how can one know if they never were placed in that position?"

"And I'm nothing like you."

"True. You weren't turned into a demon in hell. And I am not completely human. Then again… it's all relative." Angela gave a wry grin at that. She paced in front of dark Dean. She sensed that he wouldn't attack just yet. She cocked her head slightly to listen. "But some things are the same song. Just a different verse."

Dark Dean shook his head, "I'm nothing like you. Just what that boy and his worthless brother conjured up and I'm better."

"Again all relative. Right Penelope?" Angela raised her brow at dark Dean, more at the thing behind her. "Or should I say… Eve?"

Penelope smirked as she looked at Angela. "How did you know?"

"Ways and means," Angela replied with a shrug. She looked at the woman before her. She would have said more, but there was a loud clang. She looked in the direction it was coming from and stared. She remained silent as a slight grin appeared on her face.

Penelope heard the clang and looked at the source. When she saw the grin on Angela's face, she scowled. "What did you do?"

Angela grinned despite the fact that her darker half had almost beaten Sam down. She stared at the source of the clangs but spared a side glance. She knew what was coming, and right on time. She said one word, "Contingency."

* * *

 **A/N:** Angie arrives and takes on the dark versions of Sam and Dean. Seems like there might be one more trick up her sleeve. Stay tuned for next time on Sandman...


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Sam had been trained to fight. His dad raised him and Dean like warriors and learning the ways of being a hunter. They learned how to hunt the things that people that thought weren't real. Then she came. She came and turned their world upside down and taught them how to survive it. She taught them how to use the fragility of their bodies to their advantage.

Angela taught them how to move against beings like her. She showed them strengths and weaknesses. Pitted them against those very beings and yet… He never could raise a hand against her. True he sparred with her, but he never could hit her like she egged him, practically yelled at him to do. He never could see her anything other as a friend, his lover, his mate, and now he was faced with that situation. Yet, it was not her.

Sam dodged another blow that dark Angela tried to lay on him. At least he could do that. He had finished what he needed to do. Now… He had no idea what to expect. This was one of the things that Angela kept close to the vest. She gave them all their parts and told them when to execute and to trust the rest to follow. He did his part and now he was fighting off one of the things he feared.

"I see you still remember that move," dark Angela caught his attention and was smirking at him.

Sam diverted his attention away from where he saw his Angela fighting his dark half and Dean's dark half. He looked at the dark version of her. He stared at her, taking in the smirk. It was Angela, but it was different. Cold. Dark. The description of those that described her as a cold-hearted killer, a monster; the thought made him swallow uncomfortably.

Dark Angela studied him and smiled slowly. "What's the matter, Sam? You should know all of this by now. The truth about me."

Sam took a breath. At least they were talking now. He could buy some time. "I know you've… done things."

"That's putting it lightly."

Sam took in the mocking laugh and continued, "I know… that you've had to make choices. Kill people. Not all of them monsters." He swallowed and looked at her, not blinking. "Some of it is because of your nature… what you are."

"Of course," dark Angela replied. "A monster."

"That's…" Sam paused, thinking about what to say. He then said, "That's genetics. It's not who you are. That's different."

"Very profound," dark Angela replied with a nod. "Something to tell someone who is lost right? But there is a problem with that." She had inched her way forward until she was close enough. Then she delivered a hard cross that had Sam step and fall to the side. "I am not lost."

~0~0~0~0~

Dean swung the iron crowbar he managed to conjure up and hit the fugly that was trying to be a werewolf aside. He turned to look at Dana, "You okay?"

Dana nodded after delivering a punch to the man that once kidnapped her when she was a child. It was a recurring nightmare even after all these years. "Yeah. Dad?"

"What?"

Dana and Dean turned to see Walter giving a punch. Dean looked at the girl and gave a slight shrug. As long as he was okay, then they were okay. Dean turned to see more of what the Sandman was conjuring up. He found it odd since according to Angela, sandmen were the ones to open the gates. They made it possible for people to dream. Unless corrupting one, the head one, changed things.

"There are too many. How long are we supposed to hold out?" Dana took a swing at another thing.

Dean tossed her the crowbar to use. He looked around. Sam was fighting off Angela's dark half and he saw Angela fighting, but there seemed to be more things of nightmares cropping up. They were outnumbered and he had no idea what to do next. They had done everything that Angela had told them to do and now…

"Dean!"

Dean looked at Dana and then at the numbers. He then saw Sam taking a beating from dark Angela. He could see the welts appearing on Sam's face. His brother was doing what he could to defend himself, but he knew Sam wouldn't fight back full force. Sam never could see Angela more than the woman that held his heart.

When she taught them new techniques, she told them that they had to look past the face and see something that was trying to kill you. Back then, Dean got it, that friend, a creature, could turn into an enemy. He had no trouble seeing her as a thing. Hell, he had been willing to kill her at one point and she told him to do it. He understood where she was coming from with that statement. Sam never could and at times it cost him. Physically maybe, but…

Maybe it was naïve of Sam to think that Angel could be anything than the person that looked after them. Or maybe Sam did acknowledge it, but in the larger scheme of things, it didn't matter. Well, it didn't since they finally got together. It had Dean a little jealous, but he was in the same mindset as his brother. He trusted her.

 _Hang on Sam._

It pained Dean to see his brother get beat upon. It was even more painful when he caught sight of Angela holding dark Sam in a death grip. He could make out the look on her face. He knew she could no more kill Sam than he could her, the real Sam that is. He watched as she twisted her foot and broke dark Sam's neck. It was a bit shocking, but no doubt she convinced herself that it wasn't real and that's what enabled her to do it.

"Look out!"

Dean turned, but too late. He felt a pair of hands wrapped around his neck and force him back. His back rammed into the wall and he grunted. He felt his feet not even touching the ground. He took a look and saw something like that ogre thing that chased him a while back. It was one ugly mofo and had a tight grip. He tried using his arm on the wrists, but it wasn't doing any good.

A bark caught his attention and mingled with snarls. Dean glanced over and saw Zeppelin charge in full hell hound mode with his Wilder blood. He was huge and pissed off if the cuts and blood were anything to go by. He watched his dog's jaws clamp on the wrist of the hand holding him. It worked and Dean felt the grip loosen and took advantage of it.

Landing on his feet, Dean caught his balance just in time to see the thing in front of him fling Zeppelin off. He felt his breath hitch when he heard his dog yelp in pain, but it was followed by snarls and growls. Dean assumed it was the hell hound blood that had him on his feet. He was relieved when his dog loped to stand beside him and try to attack.

Suddenly, a loud bang occurred. Dean turned to look in the direction of the sound. He glanced over to see that telltale smirk on Angela's face, but he couldn't be distracted for long. He had his own problems. He barely managed to dodge the swipe that the fugly aimed at him and Zeppelin did the same, baring his teeth. He shouted, "Sam! Come on!"

~0~0~0~0~

Sam blocked one blow and caught one across the face. He felt the copper tang in his mouth and spat it out. He wiped the excess blood from his lips as he stared at dark Angela. He took in the smirk that told him this one took pleasure in delivering pain. His Angela liked a good fight, but she never liked dishing out pain. At least the one he knew.

"You just like coming back for more, don't you?"

Sam panted, "You have no idea." He couldn't help the grin that flashed on his features.

Dark Angela laughed at him, "But I do. You forget what's in your head…"

"Plays out here," Sam finished in a sarcastic tone. He spat again. The cut in his cheek was bothersome and he kept tasting the blood in his mouth. He could consider it a punishment. "Yeah, I know. This…" he gestured around him as he spoke, "Is pretty much my doing, because I deserve it."

"Right because you think what you've done is so bad."

"It's only bad when it hurts the people that matter the most." Sam straightened out, feeling every sore spot on his body. It was like when he got put back into his body after it went through a beating because Angela decided to get into a fight with it. He looked at her dark half soberly. "It can be therapeutic," he offered with a grin.

"Always one to dwell in pain. You and your pathetic brother."

Sam shrugged at that. He was going to say something but then he heard the bang. He glanced in the direction it came from. Finally this was moving forward. That meant…

"Sam! Come on!"

It was a momentary distraction and enough to get another beating. Sam managed to duck the brunt of the punch, but it left him open for a hard kick that sent him flying. He collided with something and grunted in pain. Gritting his teeth, he shifted to see dark Angela advancing and she was looking pissed. Well, eventually everyone was going to find out what was happening and…

"What did you do?"

Deciding to be coy, Sam replied, "Did what?" He couldn't help but grin like an idiot. Then again it turned his focus from the fact that he might have a couple of cracked ribs from this.

Sam felt his hair being yanked and forcing him to look up and to his feet. An amazing feat since he was taller than Angela, but she was tall enough to complement his height. Gritting his teeth, he looked her in the eye as she pulled his head close to hers. He had a hand on her wrist to ease the pull and the other arm was wrapped around his middle. He probably had a few cracked ribs, maybe a broken one.

"What did you do?"

Sam snorted and his nostrils flared. He grinned again revealing blood stained teeth. He managed to shake his head, "I really have no idea…"

"Don't lie!"

Sam didn't have to say anything. The banging was getting louder until a loud crack resounded. The doors burst open and a very angry woman came in holding a jar and looking ready to raise hell. Sam blinked at the sight since the woman wasn't alone. He glanced at dark Angela and noted that he was distracted. For once, convincing himself that it wasn't her, he delivered a couple of well-placed and hard strikes.

He was released and he bent over in relief before falling to his knees. He muttered nothing in particular before moving over to Morpheus and started again trying to break the bindings. He took a breath and recited what he was supposed to say and took a breath when the bindings fell away with a clank. He looked up to see Morpheus looking at him with a surprised look.

"You mean to say that you could have set me free earlier?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders before replying, "Part of a plan."

Morpheus looked at the beat up Sam and then at the scene playing before him. He recognized the newcomers and saw Father Roussell coming in, looking like this wasn't his element but was in the fight. He watched as they barged in to take on the horde that seemed to have gotten bigger. Then he looked over at Angela as she battled his sister with a knowing look. He then realized what she had been up to. He nodded in understanding as he turned towards Sam and noted the position of his hands. He made a slight gesture, "That's new."

Sam looked at his hands. It wasn't like practice, but it was something. "Something to keep me busy," he replied with a shrug.

Morpheus gave a knowing look. He knew exactly what he was seeing. "Seems like I'm going to see the great tactician at work."

"Not only that, brother. But to take back our home," Penelope's voice entered as she stepped into view with a knowing grin. She glanced at Sam and added, "And I get a feeling that it will open another door."

* * *

Angela was never about grand entrances, but she could put on one, as long it was to her advantage. One of the lessons she learned when conducting strategy was to be open to the impossible and to know when to make your enemy see one thing while you were secretly planning another. Sam called her a tactician and he was right. She was known for the unconventional strategies that had history turn out like it did at some points but kept her behind the scenes. They were always done with the goal of helping those that were innocent.

Her plan to take back the dream realm was elaborate on paper, but she saw that if they were going to return things to what they should be, it was gong to take time and effort to get the pieces into place, and a power source that would cleanse the area. There was the catch though, an old secret she knew of. Risky, but in the end…

"What did you do?"

Angela looked over at Penelope, which was Eve, and gave a slight grin. She didn't have to answer. The doors banging open did it for her followed by an old friend she remembered from childhood. That friend wasn't alone. Looking at Eve, she replied, "Just made this fight a bit more interesting." She sobered as she added, "And to fix what you did."

Angela didn't have to say anything. She knew that they would do what needed to be done. She had Father Roussell to explain things. She would have loved to have seen that conversation since she knew how temperamental they could be even with well meaning people. She was trusting them to pick up on what she was attempting and be on board.

Eve looked at the chaos as the newcomers jumped on the nightmares that had been conjured. She looked at Angela with a sharp look, "What did you do?" She couldn't help but repeat herself. She couldn't understand what was happening in front of her; she didn't expect this.

Angela twitched her lip as she stood in a ready position to defend herself. She looked at the Mother of All looking like the goddess. She didn't move but stood there while the fighting occurred around her. There was still an issue of timing. She had to make sure everything was right. She had schooled Sam and Dean in this when she came up with the plan, each telling them their respective roles and left them with the caveat to trust her. She didn't have to say it, but it was a reminder to them what she so readily did no matter what.

Eve looked at her, noticing she wasn't attacking. "What are you waiting for?"

Angela said nothing but studied the woman in front of her. She got the feeling that this wouldn't be the last time they met. She shrugged her shoulders like it didn't matter. "It's up to you. Either way, this ends."

Enough was said at that. Eve snarled at Angela as she made a sweeping gesture to send Angela flying. Caught off guard, Angela wasn't ready for that attack and she flew through the air. She was able to react and lessen the hit that she would have taken and land in a position to spring back to her feet. She eyed Eve with a raised brow and waited for her to attack.

Keep away was a more of a game that she learned as a child. Her father instilled that sometimes the best defense was to run away. It sounded cowardly, but in the long run, it was meant to teach that when you were outnumbered and out gunned, you learned to retreat, regroup and then try again. It was foolish to put things into one basket. Her father was the one that started her to thinking smart on execution and maneuvers. She then moved on to other masters in that field.

What started as a game was now a matter of life, death, and balance. Angela kept her gaze on Eve as she crouched on the ground, her hand pressed to it for leverage. She needed to time everything just… She sprang forward when Eve charged. She pushed off to leap over Eve. She couldn't help but smirk as her feet touched Eve on the back of the shoulders and flipped forward, landing behind the charging woman. She turned to see Eve turn about and glare at her. She gave a slight shake of her head and grinned, "Bent but not broken."

"Very clever," Eve replied. Her eyes narrowed at Angela as she turned and started stalking towards the woman.

Angela shrugged as she counter walked. She kept herself facing Eve while keeping aware of where she was at. She noted that Eve was becoming frustrated with her. Now was a better time than any. Her lip twitched in a grin, _Sam, Dean… now._

Moving from defense to offense, Angela charged forward throwing a few punches and kicks, using her momentum to lay more force. Eve countered, blocking her and Angela got a couple of hits to the face before Eve grabbed her and they grappled. Angela held on as she narrowed her eyes and flared her eyes. She held on even when Eve threw her over her shoulder and into the ground, her fingers digging into the being she was fighting.

"Why persist? It's what I want to know," Eve muttered as she looked down at Angela, pressing her into the ground.

"If you haven't read anything about me, then…" Angela pushed on Eve and flipped them over. "You don't know me at all."

It was short lived since Angela found herself on the ground again before she was dragged along it and then flung away. Angela's limbs flayed out as she tried to stay oriented to everything. She collided with something and it dug into her back. She landed on the ground with a grunt.

"Angie!"

Angela shook her head and turned to see Sam next to her looking a little worse for the wear. They were all pretty banged up, but seeing everything in place… She waved him off, "I'm okay. We gotta finish this." She gestured to the looking basin behind her.

Sam nodded and gave her a hand up. It gave her a good view of the entire room. She took a couple of breaths as she surveyed Dana and Walter getting beaten up despite what the newcomers were doing. She could hear grunts, moans and then the high pitched whines of the dogs. She slowed her breathing.

"Not exactly what you pictured, sweetheart?"

Angela blinked as she ignored Lucifer. She looked at Sam and said, "Finish the circle and start reciting what I told you."

"Always with a plan, but this one is risky, even for you." Lucifer crooned deeply in her ear. He hummed in pleasure as he sniffed her. "I mean you all allowed yourselves to get beaten up. Sam is barely standing as it is."

"When this works," Angela turned to look at Lucifer dead in the eye, openly acknowledging him for the first time since this job started, "It won't matter that we're injured."

"Hope you're right, love. You've already damned Sammy there."

Lucifer was gone before Angela could say anything, but the thought was lingering on her mind as she turned to see Eve advancing towards her. There was a murderous look in her eyes as she flung her arm to the side. The result was a scream and Angela saw Dana clawing at her throat like there was an invisible hand squeezing on her throat.

"Don't make this worse."

Angela gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes at Eve. She listened as Sam got to the part where she was supposed to start. Everyone was where they supposed to be. She opened her mouth and because reciting the spell that she had learned long ago, "I call upon the gatekeepers of the twelve gates of the stars. In unity and wholeness, I command the thirteenth gate be open. Release the dragon to balance the chaos. Open the gate."

With a defiant look at Eve, who was joined by the Sandman, she grabbed Sam's left wrist and slammed it down on the ground within the circle he had drawn around the basin at the same time she slammed her left down. She looked at Sam, who was looking bewildered, and said, "Trust me."

It was reassuring and undeserving when Sam nodded at her. She always asked him and Dean that when it came to an idea that could change things and perceptions. She kept her eyes on Sam and smiled lovingly at him as the circle activated and blinding light entered the room, distracting everyone. She tightened her grip on Sam's wrist and rubbed her thumb on it as she held it in place while they were engulfed in light.

Angela closed her eyes more out of reflex and for good reason. Eyes were sensitive in general to the rapid changes in light. Her eyes were especially sensitive since they adjusted to see in the dark. Part of the secret of her sexy slinking through the shadows thing. The light was so bright, she could see it through her lids. At the same time, she felt a surge course through her veins, like she had a surplus of energy.

Suddenly a hand grasped her wrist. She recognized Sam's touch as his right gripped hers. The light had died with a small explosion and filled the area with smoke. She opened her eyes and looked down the moment she felt Sam's hand squeeze her wrist. She then looked up. She raised her brow in a silent question and received a slight nod from Sam. She nodded in return with a slight smirk.

Turning just as the smoke cleared, Angela raised her brow at Eve, still looking like Penelope, and the Sandman. She wanted to laugh when she heard Dean exclaim, "What the hell, Angie?"

"Now that is what I'm talking about," another voice that was familiar pop up.

Angela stared at Penelope and the Sandman and what was behind them. She recognized it and grinned at Father Roussell's ability to rally the troops. Taking a step forward, she said, "I warned you that this ends now."

Eve looked at Angela and Sam. She noted the change in posture. "So you actually did it. You tapped into the old religion powers."

"I know a few tricks." Angela gave a slight shrug, but not changing her posture. "Benefits of a… liberal education." She sobered quickly and added, "Now before this gets out of hand, I'm giving you a chance to leave and fix things."

Eve looked at Angela and the others. She clearly had underestimated the being that she had heard so much about. This would prove to be fun further down the road. Smiling at her, Eve replied, "Alright. I'll go."

"No."

Eyes turned to the Sandman. The being was already ugly from his corruption. Now he looked even more hideous to the point that it had Dean comment how ugly he was. It only enraged the Sandman and he unleashed his power. More horrors started to appear and charge and head straight for the line of people that were standing with the newcomers.

Angela glanced at Sam and took his hand. She nodded at him and he nodded in understanding. With her other hand she grabbed her chakram and passed it off to him and grabbed Absolution. She brought it up in a ready attack position.

"Now it's time to let off some steam, my sweet," Lucifer said with a grin. "Shall we?"

Angela narrowed her eyes at the charging line. She began muttering the last part of what was needed. She stepped forward and called forth the attack before breaking into a charging run. She drew back her blade, ready to bring it in a downward strike as she ran straight towards the Sandman.

* * *

 **A/N:** Angie's plan comes together, but Lucifer pops up. Stay tuned for the conclusion of Sandman...


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Morpheus was glad to be free and he had Sam to thank for that. He was ready to take back what was rightfully his and his sister's. He really disliked it when individuals decided that it was the clever thing to bind a god. It was the same as binding anything else. There were always repercussions to the action and often they were deadly in their consequence.

In this case, he held back. He stayed back to be support once he realized what was in play. In truth, he was surprised at this course of action, but he had to admire the ingenuity of things. He always was impressed with his star pupil's ability to take on the challenges of his realm. This was no different and he was in a mind to withdraw completely and see what happened next.

He had to admit that he never thought Angela would ever think to use the old powers to cleanse his realms, specifically the Zodiac. Thinking about it, he could see the logic behind it. The Zodiac was one of the more powerful forces available to mankind. The trick was being able to convince the members of the Zodiac to be cooperative. Few knew exactly what the Zodiac was and what happened when you got all twelve of them to cooperate. Angela managed to do both and in a peculiar manner.

Morpheus knew that Angela had a reputation throughout history in their world as a tactician. She was known for the tactics that had been employed in the wars that she had participated in, done cleverly so that she was never acknowledged in history. She had saved thrones, toppled usurpers, and protected those that couldn't protect themselves with her ability to plan a mode of attack and execute it. It caused for lauds to be sung about her and often in an exaggerated manner.

This plan… it was sheer genius at play. Morpheus could tell that it had been handed to the players in piecemeal so that no one person, save for one, had the entire plan. He thought it to be a gambit since it relied on loyalty and trust, depending on who you were speaking to. With the Winchesters, he didn't have a doubt that they trusted her. The years they spent together and what they had done… They trusted each other. It was the others that he was unsure of.

It was a testament to her ability to rally men to her cause even if they had no reason to trust her. It was impressive. He glanced at his sister as they stayed back and watched as the Sandman roared that he wasn't going down without a fight. He muttered, "You know that this is going to result in a serious discussion between you and me when this is over."

"I know, Brother," Penelope replied as she observed. "It was a risk I was willing to take when I ended in the care of the elder Winchester. It was confirmed when Shifa' conceived her plan."

"Yes," Morpheus mused, "I never thought that she would get the idea to summon the Zodiac and to use them to open the thirteenth gate. Risky… but makes sense."

"I admit to doubts myself," Penelope admitted, "But they were dispelled when I saw them together. The two halves of a whole." She watched as the Sandman and her double stood there. Her double looked surprised and in shock while the Sandman was giving in to the darkness he had been corrupted with. "And to think it took this long."

"Still a long way to go, but they have picked up quite a bit," Morpheus agreed. He turned his attention to the charging horde of nightmares and the leader of the counter charge. He recognized the look way too well.

While his favorite pupil didn't like the killing aspect of fighting, she liked it. She liked it to the point that it made her ashamed and embarrassed. It was fueled though by her sense of justice, which was why most people were inclined to look the other way. This look was a little different and he suspected that it was a little help from the Zodiac though they seemed inclined to be doing their own thing.

The Zodiac was a definition of weird since they were inclined to look exactly like what their description was though some of it was dependent upon what you wanted to see. All had a unique personality and their own set of powers that were transferred to their choice of person. Of course, that hadn't happened in centuries since the Zodiac was content with staying in the stars as the constellation humans knew so well. Few knew they existed so…

Morpheus was drawn to Aquarius, amused at her antics with staying by the elder Winchester. She was one of the more powerful of the twelve, but it was nothing compared to when all twelve gates were opened. And it looked like he was getting a taste of that now.

One of the nightmares came towards him and he looked at it with disdain before giving a wave of his hand. The nightmare was sent away, disappearing in a cloud of find sand and dust. He turned in time to see Angela slide under a blow meant to kill. She skidded along the ground, using her feet to skid to a stop while at the same time raising her hand. It caused him to raise his brow in surprise.

It was a sight to see a white burning flame wrap around her arm and shoot out. It hit his sister's double and sent her flying after clipping her on the shoulder. He blinked in surprise since he knew she never did anything like it before and suspected that there were things that had remained hidden or… She was standing up and her attention was on the Sandman, the white flames engulfing her arms in tendrils… like serpents. A look at Sam showed that the weapon he was holding looked like it was a serpent eating its tail. Of course.

Nodding, Morpheus drew back to move and keep the lesser fry from interfering though the Zodiac was doing the job pretty well. The humans that got caught up were also holding their own with a little help from the Wilders that were snapping their jaws, making nightmares explode in dust left and right. He turned to see that the Sandman was in the open and Angela was gesturing with her hands. "Very clever. I see you learned something from Shiva."

Gods talked. The pantheons weren't as isolated as one might think. They often cooperated with each other as necessary when the stability of the world was threatened. Morpheus liked conversing with Shiva since that god was more like his sister; he had an understanding of how the world worked and how things could change in a manner that wasn't always obvious. He had heard about the beloved of Shiva's wife and it was what encouraged him to seek out Angela and then teach her about his realm.

"It seems that Shifa' and her beloved have tapped into the Ouroboros," Penelope said as she joined him. She gestured towards Angela as Absolution flew into her outstretched hand. The tendrils started wrapping around the blade and engulfed it.

"I think you are right," Morpheus agreed. "And it seems absolution will come."

He was right. The nightmares seemed to notice what was happening and froze. It allowed the Zodiac to move into place and they were poised for attack. It was then that he felt it, the buildup of power. His eyes widened as he watched what happened. The rumbling under his feet had him alarmed since he could hear the crumbling of stone. He murmured, "I hope she doesn't intend to tear the place apart."

His worries were ungrounded as the energy built up into a massive bright light. At the forefront was Angela chanting something that Morpheus recognized quite well and was impressed as she finished it and shot the hand with Absolution forward and the light followed suit. It headed straight for the Sandman like a bird with its wings spread. It swept through the room covering everything in its path as it rushed forward and outward.

It was instinctive to duck and shield oneself. Morpheus watched as the humans ducked when the light swept over them. Morpheus didn't duck but stood there with his sister as the light washed over them. He was surprised though at what he felt from the light. He kept his thoughts to himself as the light dimmed to reveal everything had been whitewashed, cleansed. The Sandman was cowering and starting to straighten, looking much like his old self. The nightmares were gone, but the Zodiac was still there. It was Aquarius who muttered, "Was that it? Pff."

* * *

"Everything is arranged?"

Morpheus looked at Angela as she stared at him. He took in the cuts, the abrasions and bruises that he could see and could only assume what he couldn't. He could see the same on the Winchesters. The only ones that didn't seem beat up were the dogs and they were panting happily. Turning his gaze back to Angela, he replied, "As promised, even the three you brought with you will think it all to be a dream."

Angela sighed in relief. It was better that Walter, Dana and the Father Roussel think it to be one big dream. It would have been difficult to explain everything and for them to go back to their lives knowing what they knew. It was one of those times where being cruel was a kindness. But was it really cruel? Maybe a mercy was a better way of putting it.

"I still don't get why you won't let them be," a familiar voice snorted in annoyance.

Angela turned to look at a familiar face. She crossed her arms over her chest, "It is a kindness, Aquarius. You know not everyone can process…" She gestured at the water bearer and the other members of the Zodiac.

"And you think they can handle you? Pff."

Angela recognized the snort for what it was and gave a slight smile. She looked at the Zodiac in its entirety standing there. "Thank you. All of you."

"Whatever," Aquarius snorted with a smirk. She straightened out and glanced at the others. "And our bargain?"

"Good for it." Angela stared back after giving a slight shake of her head. She stared at them as they all nodded before dissolving into individual lights and shooting off into the sky.

"Interesting. I am curious about this bargain," Morpheus brought up while watching the reaction of the Winchesters. He noted the look and waved his hand to send them into a sleep.

Angela let out a slight gasp when she saw Sam and Dean collapse, only to be caught midair by Penelope waving her hand. She chewed her lower lip and resumed a calm look. To the side, she could make out Lucifer looking at her with a taunting look that said she was in trouble now. She took a deep breath and replied, "Thank you for putting them to sleep." She gestured towards the boys. "They know enough, but not everything."

"I figured as such," Morpheus replied as he moved to stand in front of her. He gestured at his sister, "Make sure they and the dogs are returned."

"Memory?" Penelope looked at her brother with a wide eyed expression.

"Leave it. They understand." Morpheus turned to look Angela in the eye. "I believe Shifa' here will be able to explain in her own time." He then turned to look at his sister.

Penelope nodded and with a wave of her hands took the Winchesters and the dogs, leaving Angela with Morpheus. Angela didn't say anything until they were gone. She looked at the god of dreams in the eye and took a breath, "It is as I said. A bargain."

"And I have to wonder what that is," Morpheus posed as he stepped close into Angela's personal space. "What did you promise to one of the most powerful forces in existence?" He peered at her with a searching look. "What did you promise?"

Angela stared at Morpheus as he eyed her. She knew that if what she said displeased him, he wouldn't hesitate to act. She may have liberties with deities, but they were stringent when it came to natural order and the balance of the universe and wouldn't hesitate to correct the slightest errors if it threatened the stability of things.

Knowing the risk, she looked the god in the eye and replied, "The one thing that anyone wants."

Morpheus widened his eyes as he processed what she said. He clenched his fists, "What… did you do?"

"Plan contingency."

* * *

Sam awoke with a start to find himself in the motel room. It was raining outside, pelting hard against the roof and windows. He frowned as he thought about what he had seen. Or did he actually see it? He had to question on whether or not everything he had seen and done was real or not. He had done things that weren't exactly possible, but he did do them. At least he was certain of it. Him, Dean, Walter, Dana, the priest… "Angie," he breathed softly.

Sitting up, he found that he was in bed alone, but he could hear the showering going on in the bathroom. Getting up, he walked over, wincing slightly since he did crack a few ribs and he had bruises and scrapes. He approached slowly; it was about all he could do since he was feeling every single punch, kick and hit he took. So it was a pretty good bet that everything he remembered was real.

He paused when he heard slight mutterings and a few whimpers. He took a slight intake of breath when he heard it and he felt incredibly sad followed by intense guilt and then determination. He was puzzled since he was certain those were not his feelings as he stared at the door. Taking a breath, he opened the door, taking in the steam that had filled up the place.

Angela was standing under the spray, her back facing him. She was leaning into the wall, bracing herself on her forearms. It was clear to Sam that she had been doing that for a long time, and the water was still hot. He could hear her muttering to herself and guessed that she was trying to reconcile everything until he heard, "You only care about result. Ends justify the means to you."

Sam pressed his tongue to his teeth as he approached her. Reaching out, he placed his hand on her shoulder and ventured, "I know that's not you. Before and after." He was relieved when she didn't flinch from surprise, but it also worried him. He was slow as he put his other hand on her other shoulder.

"I… used to do it. All the time," she replied still staring at the wall. "And instead of confronting myself, I talk to Lucifer, who by the way, is singing Henry the Eighth as a means of gloating." She sighed, looking down to watch the water swirl at her feet.

"About the plan? Angie…" Sam paused when he sensed his emotions starting to go haywire. Some of it was his, but most of it… He took a breath and continued, "You came up with it, gave the odds and we went with it." Gently he turned her to face him, trying not to wince at the fact that she had as many bruises and cuts as he did and some of those were caused by his darker self. Using his finger, he lifted her chin to look her in the eye and added, "I agreed to it."

"Maybe you shouldn't have."

"Maybe. But if it was a chance to help you with the hallucinations, I'm taking it. I love you, Angie. No matter what."

Sam took in the look she gave him and stared back. He meant what he said. Always when it came to her. He continued, "I know you believe in choice and believe me it means more to me than you'll ever know, but I agreed to it because I trust you. I trust you with my life."

"But you know the bargain I had to make," Angela began.

"I do and… I trust you. Always." Sam looked at her in the eye. "I know that it is a risk with the Mother of All thing."

"And you are okay with the fact that they would only help if we were…" Angela made a slight movement with her head.

Sam began to stroke her head. He didn't care that his clothes were getting wet. His fingers stroked her wet hair. "You gave the options and… I know it sucks that Dean doesn't know."

"He can't ever know," Angela interrupted, her eyes wide in fear. "Unless he is one of the twelve. If others knew that one of the most powerful force was allowed out to find their wielders…"

"Hey," Sam soothed, "I know. I get it." He took in the look of fear on her face. He took her face in between her hands and said, "It's okay. It's going to be okay. You said yourself that they care about the balance of things as much as anyone else. It'll be okay." He pulled her into a hug and felt her arms wrap around him. He hummed softly and smiled as she relaxed. "Besides, no one will know unless they are called on and they know what to look for."

His lip twitched when he heard her snort slightly and chuckle. He let her step back and sniffle but put a hand on the side of her face to caress it before leaning in to kiss her on the mouth. He tempted her to open more and she reciprocated only to wince. Pulling back, he saw the cut on her lip and started to apologize, only to have her put her hand on his mouth. He stared at her as she removed her hand and stood on tiptoe to whisper, "It would be better without the flannel."

Sam studied her and his eyes darkened as she undid his shirt and slung it out. He pulled off his t-shirt and it followed his other shirt. Standing under the spray that was still surprisingly warm, he caressed her face and reached in to turn off the shower. His eyes never left hers as he put his hands around her waist and pulled her towards him, pressing his lips to hers. His hand slipped downward as he continued to kiss her until it came to the small of her back where her soul chakra tattoo was and instantly felt a slight twinge in the same spot on his back and heard her breath hitch.

It gave them a moment to catch their breath before he started kissing her again and without hesitation, picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He broke it and stared at her. As much as he would have liked to continue, he decided it was better to just sleep. He turned to walk out of the bathroom and almost chuckled when she automatically tucked her head into his neck and cuddled like a child would. It helped that he gently rubbed her back where her tattoo was over and over again. It may have reaffirmed Dean's assertion that her emotional level was that of a baby or child's, but he didn't mind as he put her down on the bed and climbed in after her. This was another thing added to their already full plate, but it was as he said. It was going to be okay with this one. It was one of the things he was sure of. And he was damned sure it was what she needed to help her.

* * *

The Sandman took a deep breath as he looked around. He looked at the town that he caused so much havoc on before taking off after giving Suzy a pat, ignoring the rain that was pouring down. He was grateful that the Malachi had appealed to her guardian and they restored his faithful friend. He was grateful and amazed that she had showed as much mercy as she had. She was everything that the stories told and then some.

She could have killed him. The Zodiac at its full strength could destroy most anything godly or celestial. There was even speculation that it could take on God himself. They were dedicated to balance in the world, but their power great that they were sealed away in the stars. The constellation the humans liked to watch… they never knew, but she did. And she knew the cost.

The cost was high. The Sandman was sure of this. He had seen how the god of dreams reacted when he questioned the Malachi. He observed the whole exchange as he reoriented himself to the purged realm. He admired how she stood up and showed no fear as she gave her reasons for what she had done. He could feel the effects of the wave of cleansing power that had been used to cleanse the realm and shut the gates and purified the town that it had taken root. It also made him aware of what he had done, and it made him ashamed.

It was no secret that there was a dark side to the sandmen. Their beings were infused with light. They were the gatekeepers. Pollute one with darkness and they became harbingers of nightmares. Sometimes they killed physically and not through dreams. The reality was that sandmen did become corrupted. He was no exception and he almost brought the world into chaos by what he did. It made him want to request that he be destroyed.

She stopped him.

The Sandman knew he was guilty of horrible things and a few people had been killed. He was grateful that the god and his sister showed kindness of the humans that helped the Malachi and her companions by making think it was all a dream. Yet, he couldn't forgive himself. Especially what he did to those two boys, the ones called Winchester.

He was familiar with them. He knew they suffered in life and it plagued them in nightmares. Things they had done, things they feared… He brought the worst of each into existence and they gained strength because the dream realm allowed it. It was the very nature of the realm. And he remembered the pained look on her face when she killed the dark version of the younger Winchester. He remembered it all and he knew he wasn't worthy of the position he held.

The Malachi stopped him from destruction. Before she left, she approached him. She looked at him with kindness, something he didn't deserve. She touched his head and then his shoulder, patting it in reassurance. She didn't say anything but just looked at him, before bringing him into a hug. It baffled him and looking at Morpheus, he could tell the god was baffled himself. Then she said, "I forgive you."

It was uttered in the kind, gentle tones and was what he needed. When she pulled back, he nodded his thanks, unable to say a word. He merely stared at her. He could see the various injuries from her fight to the twelve points she needed to create the alchemy magic circle to summon the Zodiac. He could see the injuries she sustained from his machinations in the viewing room. But he could see beyond that.

"You know you could have given a proper thanks."

The Sandman shifted to see one of the Zodiac standing or rather floating there. She was the human romantic version of the mermaid and toting a water jug. He looked downward and replied, "You have my thanks Aquarius, though I have done nothing to deserve your help."

Aquarius made a snort at that, "Don't throw yourself on the sword. We know that you had little control once your essence was polluted."

"But I remember. It was not fair or kind. Especially to her, the Malachi."

Aquarius huffed at that. She shifted her jug to the other arm. "That girl is too nice. A good heart buried under the armor." Her expression softened slightly as she added, "And done because she had been tortured in hell. She empathizes."

"It still wasn't kind to her or her companions." The Sandman looked ahead at the town. His eyes roved it, not worried about the rain pouring down. It was a kindness, a cleansing gift from the power of the Zodiac. "The worst thing that could happen is repulsion because of fear."

Aquarius made a rude sound at that, "I doubt that. Not with them. Especially them." She flipped her tail and mused a bit, studying the motel. She stared intently at it.

"You know something. Is it the bargain you made?" The Sandman knew it was risky asking. The Zodiac was composed with beings that had personality. Sometimes it could be volatile. Aquarius was said to have a vile temper, but there were also hints with regards to libido. "What did the Malachi promise?"

"The one thing we wanted," Aquarius replied, "The freedom to walk the earth again." She then turned to look at the Sandman with a discerning eye. "There is a war coming. That phrase written in the stars is no joke because we see it. Like other measures, we are there to be called upon when needed and by those that can."

"But why the Malachi?"

Aquarius looked at the Sandman. She narrowed her eyes as if to sense out if there was any pollution of his essence left. When she was satisfied, she replied, "There are forces older than these humans know at work." She turned to look out into the night. "Forces that even their champion and other half don't know or fully understand yet and there are those that would seek to destroy it, change it… affect the natural order."

The Sandman nodded in understanding. Natural order was the delicate balance of everything in existence. It had been mucked with a few times over. "I understand."

"I doubt it," Aquarius scoffed. "But at least that measure should help a little," she muttered, "The rest is up to them."

"What?"

Aquarius didn't answer. Instead, she closed her eyes and shifted her essence into light before shooting off into the darkness. The Sandman watched her head off into the town. It was out of his hands now. The Zodiac was free. What that meant… he didn't know. All he knew was that he had a job to do. He clicked at Suzy and she started trotting before taking off into the air and they shrank into their pixie size. After all, there were people that needed their dreams tonight.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that's a wrap for Sandman. In the aftermath it seems that Angie may have done something that may come back to bite the ass later. Stay tuned for the next episodes of Chronicles of Absolution: Sakura.


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